Alexis Osorio and Bailey Hemphill Earn SEC Pitcher and Freshman of the Week Honors
2/13/2017 1:46:00 PM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After a successful opening weekend, Alabama softball earned a pair of weekly honors from the Southeastern Conference, announced Monday. Junior pitcher Alexis Osorio is the SEC Pitcher of the Week and freshman catcher Bailey Hemphill is the SEC Freshman of the Week.
The weekly award is the second of Osorio's career, previously winning on Feb. 29, 2016, and the first for Hemphill who made her Crimson Tide debut last weekend. Hemphill joins Charlotte Morgan (2007) and Haylie McCleney (2013) as the only players in program history to win Freshman of the Week in the first week of the season. Overall, Alabama has won SEC Pitcher of the Week 35 times and Freshman of the Week 18 times, the latter award only being introduced in 2007.
Osorio was perfect over 11.2 innings pitched this weekend, striking out 25 batters while not allowing a single baserunner. She threw the fourth perfect game in program history in her season debut on Friday against Coastal Carolina, striking out a school-record 19 batters in the game. She earned the win in relief the next day against Towson, throwing 4.2 more perfect innings with six strikeouts. Ultimately, 25 of the 35 outs recorded by Osorio came via strikeout.
Hemphill made quite an impression in her first weekend with the Tide, hitting .500 (7-14) over five starts with nine RBIs a team-leading three home runs, posting a 1.214 slugging percentage. She hit a home run in her first career at-bat, a three-run shot against Towson on Friday, and added another three-run homer the very next game against Coastal Carolina. She capped the weekend with another long ball on Sunday against the Chanticleers, part of a 3-3 day at the plate. She earned at least one hit in all five games played this weekend and scored at least one run in four of the five.
Next up, Alabama plays its home opener on Wednesday, Feb. 15, hosting South Alabama (5-0) at 5 p.m. CT at Rhoads Stadium. This weekend, the Tide travels to Lafayette, La., for a three-game series at No. 11 Louisiana-Lafayette (4-2) starting on Friday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. CT.
For the latest information on Alabama softball, follow the team on Twitter (@AlabamaSB) and Instagram (BamaSB) or like us on Facebook at Alabama Softball.
