Ahead of it’s second SEC road series, Alabama got some good news. Star pitcher Alexis Osorio has been cleared to pitch this weekend against No. 19 Kentucky.
Osorio, who did not pitch at all last week for No. 16 Alabama against UAB and Ole Miss, passed all her concussion tests on Tuesday and is ready to go.
“She can pitch,” said coach Patrick Murphy. “She passed her test, the doctor cleared her.”
Murphy is thrilled to have Osorio back, but he will be cautious with his All-American pitcher.
“I think you give her a start, but I don’t know which game that would be,” Murphy said. “She’s a perfectionist. Her timing is crucial to her success. She needs to feel good with her pitches. She’s not like a fastball power thrower, she’s kind of a finesse-with-movement that strikes a lot of people out.”
Osorio sustained a concussion after she was struck in the head by a batted ball on March 18 against Auburn. Her return limited how Murphy used his pitching staff against the Rebels, but Alabama still managed to go 3-1 without her services.
“She’s a great player and a great leader for our team,” senior Reagan Dykes said. “Having three healthy pitchers is going to be the key for our success in the SEC.”
Osorio is 6-3 with a 1.61 ERA on the year. She has 101 strikeouts in her 61 innings of work.
Junior college transfer Courtney Gettins collected two complete game wins against Ole Miss over the weekend and also was the winning pitcher in the matchup against UAB.
Freshman Madison Preston struggled in her start against Ole Miss, allowing 10 earned runs. However, she did a good job of pitching a complete game to keep Gettins fresh for her start Sunday with Murphy limited in his options.
“The two new girls really stepped up this weekend and gained some confidence,” Dykes said. “Courtney especially getting the wins Friday and Sunday. It’s huge for her.
Gettins is 10-2 with a 1.68 ERA for the year. Preston is 6-3 with a 2.77 ERA.
Peyton Grantham is also recovering from her injury. Murphy said that she had her cast removed this week and could be available for the Crimson Tide.
Murphy has been thrilled with the production Grantham’s replacement, Claire Jenkins, has provided in her absence.
“She played really good defense and hasn’t hurt us, and that’s the key,” Murphy said. “It’s like next person up when anybody gets injured. You’re one injury away from being a starter. She handled it well last year and she’s handling it this year.”
The series will be a homecoming for freshman Kaylee Tow.
“This is a big weekend for her since she’s from Kentucky,” Murphy said. “I hope it isn’t a homecoming thing where you feel too much pressure with everybody there. She’ll be fine.”
Tow leads Alabama with 28 hits and is hitting .348 for the year. She has 13 extra base hits, with six of them as home runs.
Sophomore Bailey Hemphill has reached based 12 games in a row for the Crimson Tide. She is hitting 13-for-33 (.394) over that stretch with five home runs and 10 walks. She leads the team with seven home runs, 21 walks and a .475 on base percentage.
Alabama will need both hitters continuing to hit well to beat a strong Kentucky team this weekend.
“They’re a really good team,” Murphy said. “They have three really good pitchers and are capable of beating any team in the country.
Saturday’s matchup will be broadcast on ESPN2 with a 4 p.m. start time.
