Marlie Giles' Return Could Provide Boost for Alabama Batting Lineup

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— In 25 games against SEC opponents, Alabama softball averaged less than three runs per game. It didn't help that the Crimson Tide was without one of its most productive hitters at the plate for the final five conference series.

Sophomore catcher Marlie Giles broke her right arm during a collision in the Kentucky series back on March 30. The initial injury timetable was two to four weeks, but Giles was out a little longer. She returned on defense in the Auburn series for the regular series finale, throwing out a runner in her first game back.

Welcome back Marlie!@GilesMarlie

📺ESPN2 | https://t.co/mTp4mlst7C #Team28 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/lxFw0KYBD6
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) May 3, 2024

She made her debut back in the batting lineup in the SEC tournament against LSU and went 1-4 with a double. What makes this even more impressive is the fact that she hadn't faced any live pitching leading into the game.

"Injuries happen all the time, and unfortunately she got hit smack right and broke her arm. Things like that happen in athletics, it stinks," Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said Thursday before the team's practice. "But she was really doing well, was one of our best hitters at the time and obviously is a fiery person behind the plate. And when she came back, she had a double opposite field against LSU, and I don’t she’d faced any live pitching really. She’d done short toss, she’d done tee, a little bit of like hard short toss— nothing like a live pitcher."

Murphy said Giles still isn't 100 percent, but has been cleared by the doctors to return. The coaches were going to watch how she did in practice, which was open to the media. Giles went through full drills in the field behind the plate and also took batting practice with Murphy pitching and was consistently making solid contact with the ball, hitting liners and sending some balls to the warning track.

Despite missing a good chunk of the season, Giles is still third on the team in batting average (.283), tied for second in double (six) and tied for first in home runs (six.) In her absence the team averaged just 2.5 runs per game in SEC play.

Alabama went one-and-done in the SEC tournament, getting eliminated by LSU in both teams' opening game. The Crimson Tide grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-RBI double by Kali Heivilin but then went scorless over the next 13 innings, losing 3-2 in the 14th inning.

Kayla Beaver started and allowed two runs over six innings. In relief, true freshman Jocelyn Briski held the Tigers scorless for 7.1 innings before allowing the game-winning run in the 14th inning. Both Beaver (1.78 ERA) and Briski (2.33 ERA) have kept Alabama in most games this season, but have gotten very little run support, especially over the final three weeks of the regular season with Alabama getting shut out five times in nine games.

Despite the lack of run support, the Crimson Tide pitchers are still confident in the offense they have surrounding them as Alabama prepares for its opening game of the NCAA Tournament against USC Upstate on Friday.

"I know that they put the work in every week," Briski said. "I see them putting in the work, and I’m going to continue putting in the work and whatever happens, happens. There’s no other group I’d want out there batting while I’m pitching. So just continuing to have the trust in them every game, every practice because it’s going to happen, and they’re going to get the job done.”