Catching up with the Crimson Tide: Patrick Murphy reaches a new milestone

It’s been another big week of sports for Alabama, both at home and on the road. A milestone victory was reached, the baseball team kept up its unbeaten start, and the gymnastics team is set for a top-10 matchup on Friday night at home. Here are some of the Crimson Tide’s sports results and upcoming games for this week.

What happened: Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy secured his 1,200th win at the Capstone on Wednesday night in a 3-2 victory over the in-state Samford Bulldogs. Freshman infielder Kenleigh Cahalan’s sixth-inning RBI was the difference in the matchup. Bailey Dowling and Ally Shipman each added one RBI of their own, with Shipman’s tying the game at two runs apiece and bringing Alabama back from a 2-0 deficit. Pitcher Jaala Torrence earned the win after relieving Alex Salter. The Crimson Tide (7-2) has won four consecutive games.

What’s on deck: No. 7 Alabama’s game against Samford kicked off a homestand for the Crimson Tide that will extend through March 7. The stretch will begin this weekend with the Easton Bama Bash. Alabama will have a doubleheader Friday beginning with a 4. p.m. CT matchup against Kennesaw State before taking on Southeastern Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. Saturday will feature another doubleheader for the Crimson Tide as it takes on Indiana State at 11 a.m. before facing Southeastern Lousiana at 1:30 p.m. The five-game weekend slate will wrap up Sunday when Alabama takes on Kennesaw State at 1 p.m.

Names to watch: Cahalan has enjoyed a hot start to her collegiate career with a hit in each of Alabama’s nine games so far. Fellow infielder Ashley Prange hit three home runs during last weekend’s Clearwater Invitational, during which the Crimson Tide went 4-1. Shipman batted .400 at the Invitational and sits at .440 on the season.

What happened: The No. 20 Crimson Tide baseball team is off to its second consecutive 5-0 start after winning two midweek hames by a combined score of 17-4. Alabama run-ruled Tennessee-Martin, 10-0, on Wednesday after beating Tennessee Tech, 7-4, Tuesday. Alabama won four of its five games by nine runs or more after sweeping Richmond by a combined score of 39-5 last weekend.

Mac Guscette and Drew Williamson each hit a home run in Wednesday’s game, while relief pitcher Kade Woods got the win. Williamson also went yard on Tuesday, knocking in four RBIs. Starter Luke Holman earned the win against Tennessee Tech.

Alabama's lineup has been on fire while it's pitching has been solid to boot. During the series against Richmond, the Crimson Tide's starters combined to give up just a single earned run.

What’s on deck: Alabama’s originally scheduled weekend series with Pepperdine was canceled due to forecasted bad weather in the California area, where the games were set to be played. The Crimson Tide will now host High Point for a three-game series in Sewell-Thomas Stadium this weekend. First pitch in the series is set for 3 p.m. CT on Friday. The two teams will meat again on Saturday at 4 p.m. before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Names to watch: Starting pitcher Grayson Hitt will make his second start of the year following an excellent Opening Day performance which saw him strike out eight batters without giving up an earned run. Right fielder Andrew Pinckney collected eight hits in 11 plate appearances in the opening series, receiving D1Baseball’s SEC Player of the Week honors for his efforts.

What happened: Alabama earned a close win on the road against rival Georgia during its last meet on Feb. 17. Senior Luisa Blanco won the all-around, as well as the uneven bars, balance beam and floor. Teammate Shallon Olsen won the vault. Ella Burgess tied Blanco’s 9.950 on the beam. These efforts combined to earn the No. 9 Crimson Tide (6-3) a 197.525-197.325 victory.

What’s on deck: No. 8 LSU is next on the docket, and it will be Alabama’s first time competing inside Coleman Coliseum since its electrifying comeback against Auburn on Feb. 3. The meet is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. CT.

Names to watch: Blanco has been huge for the Crimson Tide in her senior year, and her all-around score against the Bulldogs tied her season high. Star freshman Gabby Gladieux has emerged as a significant piece on this team, with a great run of late on floor, an event that was vital to Alabama’s win against Auburn.

What happened: The Crimson Tide earned a gutsy 78-76 overtime win against South Carolina in a road matchup on Wednesday night. The victory, Alabama’s 24th of the season, extends the team’s SEC record to 14-1. Freshman Brandon Miller scored a career-high 41 points and made clutch baskets in the final moments of both regulation and overtime to lift the Crimson Tide. It was the first time a conference opponent scored 70 points on Alabama this season.

What’s on deck: Alabama will face an Arkansas team back at full strength, unlike the last time the two teams met. The Razorbacks climbed to an 8-7 SEC record after a 1-5 start to conference play.

Alabama won the previous matchup between the two teams this season, using a strong performance late to secure an 84-69 victory inside Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 11. The Crimson Tide is undefeated in conference play in Coleman Coliseum.

Names to watch: Miller’s career day was crucial to avoiding what was very close to being Alabama’s second road loss in a row. He was a key contributor in the second half of the Jan. 11 contest, with 14 points. Mark Sears led the way offensively and scored 26 the last time the Razorbacks and the Crimson Tide played.

What happened: Alabama (20-8) fell short in a bid to come back from a 15-point deficit at the half against Florida. Despite four players scoring in double figures, Florida snapped a five-game skid while handing the Crimson Tide its second straight loss. Alabama tied the game in the final minutes but never took the lead and ultimately fell short, 81-77.

What’s on deck: There is only one game left in the regular season. Senior Day is on Sunday against Ole Miss. The two teams matched up on Jan. 15 in Oxford with Alabama coming out on top, 63-58. Tipoff will be at 2 p.m. CT.

Names to watch: Brittany Davis, the top scorer on the team, continues to impress. She had 16 points and eight rebounds in the Florida loss. Jada Rice played a better game against the Gators and cemented herself as the fourth player in program history with 60 blocks in a season. Aaliyah Nye keeps shooting the ball well, scoring 17 points the last time Alabama played at home and 15 against the Gators.