The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Jacksonville State
Softball Loses Two On The Road At Jacksonville State
2/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 24, 2004
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. --- The UAB softball team dropped a pair of close decisions to the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Tuesday as the Blazers lost the opening game of the doubleheader, 9-8, in eight innings and then fell, 5-2, in the nightcap.
UAB (1-8) recorded a season-high 16 hits against the Gamecocks in the first game on Tuesday, but Jacksonville State (8-1) overcame an 8-6 deficit in the eighth inning to rally for a 9-8 win. In the second game, the Gamecocks scored three early runs and UAB's comeback attempt fell short in the seventh inning.
With the pair of victories, Jacksonville State extended its winning streak to seven-consecutive games against the Blazers and earned its fourth win in a row. The two in-state opponents did not face each other during the 2003 season and UAB has not defeated the Gamecocks since a 3-1 victory on March 3, 2001.
In the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, UAB jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as senior Beth Mullins blasted a two-run home run over the left-field wall. With two outs in the frame, the Blazers' Holly Krzan was hit by a pitch and then Mullins turned on a 3-2 fastball for UAB's first round-tripper of the season.
Jacksonville State's Melinda McDonald then answered with a lead-off home run of her own in the bottom of the first inning to cut the Blazers' advantage to 2-1. After allowing the home run, UAB's starting pitcher Tara Higashino settled down to retire the next three Gamecock batters to end the inning.
The Blazers continued their rally in the top of the second inning by scoring two more runs to increase the lead to 4-1.
In the frame, UAB's Carrie Christophel and Chelsea McCall each lined key base hits to center field to provide the scoring. The Blazers' Amanda Ellis started the inning and notched UAB's third run after she was hit by a pitch and was allowed to score on an error by Jacksonville State second baseman Megan Jezierski.
The Gamecocks exploded for three runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 4-4. With runners on first and second, Jacksonville State's left-handed right fielder, Daniela Pappano, hit an opposite-field home run to left center to even the score at four runs apiece.
Jacksonville State earned its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Gamecocks connected for their third home run of the day. After a Janae Bonin double off of the right-field wall, Jacksonville State's Breanne Oleman gave the Gamecocks a 6-4 lead by ripping a two-run shot to left field.
UAB then trimmed the Gamecocks' lead to 6-5 in the top of the sixth inning.
Dusti Roberts, the Blazers' shortstop from Las Vegas, Nev., kicked things off with a rally-starting double to left-center field and then UAB registered back-to-back singles by Sara Christophel and McCall. Christophel's drive through the right side of the infield scored Roberts from second base to cut the deficit to one run.
In the top of the seventh inning, UAB's Kris Lara powered a deep home run to center field to knot the score at 6-6. With the crucial home run, her first of the season, Lara forced Jacksonville State to bat in the seventh inning and recorded her second RBI of the year.
UAB's junior pitcher, Erica Mascarenas, then came in to pitch in the bottom of the seventh frame and struck out the Gamecocks' Lauren Rutledge to force the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Blazers broke out for two runs on three-consecutive hits by Sara Christophel, McCall and Krzan. McCall drove in Roberts with a single to right field and then Krzan knocked in pinch runner Lauren Terry to give the Blazers an 8-6 advantage in the contest.
Jacksonville State rebounded in the bottom of the eighth frame to score three runs on three Blazer errors to win the first game of the doubleheader, 9-8.
After a McDonald double to deep left field to score Rutledge, the Gamecocks' Becky Carpenetti was walked in with the bases loaded to tie the game and then McDonald scored when UAB's Mascarenas couldn't handle a comebacker to the mound.
In the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader, Jacksonville State continued its torrid hitting and scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a quick 2-0 advantage. After UAB's Mascarenas struck out the side in the second frame, the Gamecocks' Rachel Countryman hit a solo shot to left field in the third inning to give Jacksonville State a 3-0 lead.
UAB then countered with a run in the top of the fourth inning to make the score, 3-1.
Ellis, the Blazers' senior catcher from Mobile, Ala., manufactured the run as she scrapped and clawed her way around the bases. She drew a one-out walk, advanced to third base on a single down the left-field line by Roberts and then scored on a passed ball by Jacksonville State's Pappano. With the score, Ellis notched her third run of the season.
The Blazers were threatening again in the top of the fifth inning after Sara Christophel ripped a double off of the right-field fence and McCall singled to left field. Then, with runners on first and third with two outs, Lara drilled a shot to deep-center field that came two feet short of giving UAB a 4-3 lead. On the play, Jacksonville State's Samantha Gutierrez made a tremendous running catch at the wall to end the inning.
In the next half inning, the Gamecocks' Countryman slammed her second home run of the game to give Jacksonville State a 4-1 advantage.
UAB's Sara Christophel led off the seventh inning by hitting her first home run of the season over the right-field wall. The Blazers' junior from Birmingham went 2-for-3 in the contest and scored one run and knocked in another.
The UAB softball team will next be in action on Friday, Feb. 27, as the Blazers square off against both the Texas Tech Lady Raiders and the Drake Bulldogs at the 2004 Tulsa Festival held in Tulsa, Okla. UAB is scheduled to play Texas Tech at 9 a.m. and Drake at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Game One: Jacksonville State (7-1) def. UAB (1-7), 9-8 (8)
UAB 220 001 12 - 8 16 3
JSU 103 020 03 - 9 12 1
Top Hitters: UAB, Sara Christophel 3-5, RBI, Chelsea McCall 3-5, 2 RBI, Kris Lara 3-5, HR, R, RBI; JSU, Janae Bonin 3-3, R, Melinda McDonald 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, Becky Carpenetti 2-4, R.
WP: Breanne Oleman (2-0), LP: Erica Mascarenas (1-4)
Game Two: Jacksonville State (8-1) def. UAB (1-8), 5-2
UAB 000 100 1 - 2 6 1
JSU 201 011 X - 5 6 2
Top Hitters: UAB, Sara Christophel 2-3, HR, RBI, R, Amanda Ellis 1-3 R; JSU, Rachel Countryman 2-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, Janae Bonin 1-3, 2 RBI.
WP: Breanne Oleman (3-0), LP: Erica Mascarenas (1-5)
