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Sports
S A T U R D A Y , M A R C H 17 , 2012
SECTION C
WWW.TUSCALOOSANEWS.COM
NCAA TOURNAMENT | CREIGHTON 58, ALABAMA 57
UA SOFTBALL
CRIMSON BLUES STAFF PHOTO | MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
Alabama’s Jackie Traina pitched three innings and allowed one hit and struck out three in the Crimson Tide’s 12-2 win against Ole Miss in five innings.
UA makes quick work of Rebels By Andrew Carroll Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA | Jackie Traina didn’t seem nervous Friday night when the top-ranked University of Alabama softball team played its first SEC game at home. Traina got the pitching victory and drove in two runs as the Crimson Tide downed Ole Miss 12-2 in five innings at Rhoads Stadium. Traina slugged a two-run double in the fi rst inning and threw three innings to get the pitching victory. Alabama (23-0, 4-0) was back home after getting three SEC wins at Kentucky and fi nishing one of two games scheduled in Oregon. “It’s awesome to play at home,” said Traina, a sophomore right-hander. “I don’t think about what kind of game it is. I just go out there and help my team out as much as possible.” In the bottom of the fi rst, Jennifer Fenton singled and Cassie Reilly-Boccia reached on an error. Batting with SEE QUICK | 5C
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alabama’s Trevor Releford (12) sits on the court as Creighton players celebrate at the end of Friday’s Midwest Regional second-round game in Greensboro, N.C. Releford missed a shot at the buzzer and Creighton won, 58-57.
Last-second shot comes up short as Crimson Tide falls to Bluejays By Cecil Hurt Sports Editor
INSIDE GLANCE:
UA BASEBALL
Arkansas wins on bases-loaded walk in 12th From staff reports
FAYET TEVILLE, A RK . | The University of Alabama baseball team lost to Arkansas, 4-3, in 12 innings Friday night on a bases loaded walk. Alabama took a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning after Hunter Gregory doubled to score Bradt Hendricks, but Arkansas answered in the bottom half of the inning when Jacob Morris drove in Matt Vinson with the tying run on a double. In the bottom of the 12th Alabama got two quick outs, but pitcher Josh Rosecrans gave up a single to Reynolds and walked the next batter. Adam Windsor came in for relief of Rosecrans, but walked the next batter to load the bases to bring up Jake Wise. With a full count Wise took ball four to score Reynolds with the winning run. Ben Moore led Alabama at the plate with three hits while Gregory had two hits and one RBI. Rosecrans took the loss. He pitched 1 2⁄3 innings and gave one run on two hits with one walk. Charley Sullivan pitched 5 1⁄3 innings and gave up one run on four hits with four strikouts. Alabama plays Arkansas today at 3 p.m.
GREENSBORO, N.C. | The Alabama-Creighton game seemed set for a classic NCAA Tournament fi nish, but the Crimson Tide’s fi nal possession included something unusual. An intermission. The Crimson Tide trailed by one point with 4.7 seconds but called a timeout midway through its fi nal possession, and lost 58-57 to the Bluejays when Trevor Releford’s 3-pointer under duress fell far short as time expired. Alabama had its last chance thanks to five missed Creighton free throws in the fi nal 33 seconds, but after the Bluejays gave a foul with 4.7 seconds remaining, Tide coach Anthony Grant chose to terminate the possession. “They switched (into) zone and and we had a man play, so I tried to call a quick timeout to give our guys something to go with,” Grant said. That led to another Andrew Steele in-
NCAA Tournament scores and schedule | 2C
STUNNER: No. 2 seed Missouri beaten by first-time NCAA Tournament team Norfolk State | 3C
STUNNER II: No. 2 seed Duke falls to Lehigh | 3C
For a photo gallery of Alabama’s NCAA Tournament game against Creighton, visit www.tidesports.com bounds pass with 2.4 seconds remaining. “Coach drew up a good play,” said Tide forward JaMychal Green. “It was supposed to come to me, but they packed it in the middle SEE BLUES | 3C
Right up to the end, this Tide team didn’t exceed expectations GREENSBORO, N.C. eople will look at the fi nal 4.7 seconds of the University of Alabama’s season closely. Those skilled in basketball forensics will dissect it. More casual basketball fans will debate it. Those who follow the Crimson Tide with a passion will try to digest it over the next few weeks, probably without much success. It was a tiny sliver of time in which Alabama could have taken another step in the NCAA TournaCECIL ment — and perhaps another step HURT as a basketball program. But to do that, Alabama would have had to separate that 4.7 seconds of basketball from 800 minutes or so of game time that preceded it, and it couldn’t. SEE HURT | 3C
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ALABAMA GYMNASTICS Alabama gymnast Ashley Priess competes on the balance beam during Friday’s meet against North Carolina at Coleman Coliseum. She scored a 9.925.
STAFF PHOTO | MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
Seniors lead Tide to runaway win No. 4 Tide now sets sights on SEC Championships By Tommy Deas Executive Sports Editor
TUSCA LOOSA | Ashley Priess could have watched from the sidelines. She could have gone to the beach, for that matter, and the No. 4 University of Alabama gymnastics team would have beaten North Carolina. It was the last home meet of the year and senior night for Priess, Geralen Stack-Eaton and Rachel Terry. It was the last Friday night of
spring break, for goodness’ sake. Nobody would have said a word if Priess had chosen to coast, to take in the friendly vibes of a home crowd of 9,165 at Coleman Coliseum and just enjoyed the occasion. That’s not Priess’ way. Not after missing all of last season with twin ankle surgeries. Alabama did defeat the Tar Heels, 197.625 to 194.075, but this meet wasn’t about winning. It was about getting ready to defend a Southeastern Conference championship next weekend, and a nation title in the weeks after that. And Priess wasn’t in a mood to do the same old routine that she’s been doing all season. She wanted SEE SENIORS | 5C