Softball Lady Vols vs Missouri

Aucoin has got to stop walking people--you just can't do it. She not only walks batters, she usually throws a wild pitch or two and hits somebody. She's got to clean up her pitching. Of course, the way most pitchers are getting hammered this year, maybe it is understandable if the pitchers are trying to be too fine. I agree about Tarrango: Not sure why we pitcher her. Good win and we should have swept this series.
 
I just got back from the game. It was a great atmosphere. The crowd was there, the weather was great, and of course the LV's won. There was absolutely no hangover from Saturday's meltdown. This team has what you might call resiliency.
 
Kudos to the coaching staff for starting Gretchen today. After Saturday's meltdown, it was a gutsy move but maybe what Gretchen needed. I was fearing she was losing confidence.

I watched her in warmups for about 30 minutes before the game and Karen and Marty worked with her constantly on her mechanics - how to hold the ball, where to put her feet, where her weight should be, where her arm should be when she let go of the ball, everything. Gretchen never said a word the entire time I watched and I thought she was overloaded with detail. Maybe not, I don't know. Her pitch to strike ratio was 101/56 which isn't good but I noticed in this game she got progressively worse inning by inning and then had the bad 5th inning.
 
The 5th inning wasn't as bad as Saturday's meltdown but I thought they were going to lose once again due to the pitching and fielding. Gregg made an error at short that allowed a runner to advance that eventually scored. Geer missed a grounder that I thought she should have gotten to but no error was assessed. McSwain, who was back at third in this game, inexplicably didn't even try for a grounder that went by her and into left field. Ralph pulled her after that inning and put Overstreet back at third.

It will be the same refrain all season - the pitching and fielding have to improve.
 
Annie made a great throw to second to cut down a runner trying to steal second in the late innings. She easily has the best arm of any catcher I've seen this season. Her throws are almost always quick, straight, and to the bottom right side of the base. Gregg simply caught the ball and let the momentum of the ball push her glove onto the runner.
 
The home plate ump made a terrible call on McSwain which I think cost us more runs in the early innings. The pitch hit either McSwain's bat or hit her - I honestly don't know which. But the ball rolled back toward the pitcher and third baseman who both sort of nonchalantly walked over and picked it up. McSwain meanwhile jogged down to first base. Suddenly the ump is motioning her back and Karen comes out. I cannot hear what is said but Karen's body language made it pretty plain what she was saying. The ump then confers with the other umpires and then they call McSwain back to the plate and assess her with a strike. How can you be assessed a strike when the ball hits you? And if the ball hit her bat instead then it's a single and she's on base. The next pitch was a called third strike on McSwain. The crowd was bonkers.

Edit: Ralph said in the video that the home plate ump ruled that McSwain swung at the ball, missed it, and thus it was a strike.

If she swung at the ball, I didn't see it. How did the ball end up in the infield if it was a swing and a miss?
 
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Aucoin doen't have a good rhythm in the circle. By contrast, Missouri's pitcher Lowary got into a great rhythm last night and did so again today after relieving Finucane. I kept hoping the LV batter's would start to break her rhythm by asking for time at the last second or waiting an extra three seconds or so to step into the box. They never did and Lowary's rhythm was 1-2-3 pitch, catch the ball, 1-2-3 pitch, catch the ball, 1-2-3 pitch, catch the ball....it is really nice to watch. Gabriel has a decent rhythm for the LV's but Aucoin doesn't.
 
The outfield played much better today. McClain, Lewis, and Geathers all made put-outs and all three had at least one put-out that was difficult. Gaffin did not start in right field and didn't pitch any. I am speculating that her hip is bothering her.

On edit: It's her ankle, not hip.
 
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Aucoin doen't have a good rhythm in the circle. By contrast, Missouri's pitcher Lowary got into a great rhythm last night and did so again today after relieving Finucane. I kept hoping the LV batter's would start to break her rhythm by asking for time at the last second or waiting an extra three seconds or so to step into the box. They never did and Lowary's rhythm was 1-2-3 pitch, catch the ball, 1-2-3 pitch, catch the ball, 1-2-3 pitch, catch the ball....it is really nice to watch. Gabriel has a decent rhythm for the LV's but Aucoin doesn't.

I wish Karen would let her try calling her own pitches.
 
A Mercedes in the parking lot got it's rear window demolished by a foul ball. Heed the signs that read "Park at your own risk".
 
I can't understand why they use Tarango as a pitcher. She is by far the worst of the pitchers. Gaffin is very good, why isn't she in there? Really confused about this.

Per Ralph on the radio broadcast, Gaffin sprained her ankle in warmups Saturday and couldn't pitch, but gutted it out in the field. She tried to warm up in the bullpen but couldn't go.

She hit but did not play the field Sunday and ran with a noticeable limp.
 
I agree about Tarrango: Not sure why we pitcher her.

Gabriel is 75% according to Ralph. If she reinjures or aggravates her hip in some way and cannot pitch, that leaves the LV's with Aucoin - who has control problems, and Gaffin as the pitchers. There is a need for somebody else who can pitch for depth or insurance.

Google is your friend: I found this site that has some good inflormation about labral tears and rehab:

Hip Conditions | Labral Tears of the Hip | Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in the Greater Houston Area, TX
 
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Tarrango was recruited as a pitcher, that's what she is. Pretty serious broken thumb and I believe foot too early. It takes time to heal, then you have to get back in rythym of real live games. Tennessee will do fine against Georgia, I don't see a sweep by either team.

Per Ralph on the radio broadcast, Gaffin sprained her ankle in warmups Saturday and couldn't pitch, but gutted it out in the field. She tried to warm up in the bullpen but couldn't go.

She hit but did not play the field Sunday and ran with a noticeable limp.
 

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