The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
St Mary's
Softball Drops Nine-Inning Heartbreaker To St. Mary's, 2-1
2/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 6, 2004
HONOLULU --- The UAB softball team lost in heartbreaking fashion in their second game of the 2004 Paradise Classic here Friday as the Blazers were defeated by the St. Mary's Gaels, 2-1, in nine innings.
After playing to a 1-1 tie in eight innings, UAB allowed a run in the top of the ninth frame and couldn't counter in the bottom half as the Gaels posted a 2-1 extra-inning victory. Both of St. Mary's runs were scored during extra-inning play after having runners awarded second base due to the international tiebreak rule.
With the loss, UAB dropped to an overall record of 1-2 on the season, while St. Mary's improved its seasonal mark to 1-4.
UAB's starting pitcher, Erica Mascarenas, hurled nine innings against the Gaels and didn't allow an earned run. She struck out nine batters and only allowed seven hits in the contest. On the season, Mascarenas has accumulated an earned run average of 1.40 and has registered a total of 14 strikeouts in two outings.
Dusti Roberts, UAB's starting shortstop from Las Vegas, Nev., made a spectacular defensive play in the top of the third inning to steal a hit from the Gaels' Justine Larsen. Larsen, who led off the inning, sliced a shot into left-center field that looked as if it would drop in for a bloop single, but the Blazers' Roberts dove headlong into shallow centerfield to make the play.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, UAB missed out on a golden opportunity to win the ballgame as the Blazers loaded the bases with nobody out and freshman Nicole Whitlock at the plate.
Whitlock, a native of Morris, Ala., ripped a shot to the Gaels' second-baseman Staci Hamaguchi, who snared the ball and touched first base to complete the double play. UAB's next batter, Chelsea McCall, then powered a line drive directly to St. Mary's pitcher Jennifer Eaton for the final out of the inning.
The teams played seven innings of scoreless softball before St. Mary's broke up the pitching duel and earned a 1-0 lead in the top of the eighth frame. The run was scored after the Gaels were awarded a runner on second base due to the international tiebreaker rule and Eleni Papailias eventually hit a towering drive to deep left field that scored Lauren Mello from third base.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, UAB rebounded with a run of its own to knot the score at 1-1. With McCall at third base, Mullins, the Blazers' senior leader from Fairhope, Ala., singled up the middle to send the game to a ninth inning. Mullins finished the contest as UAB's top hitter versus St. Mary's as she went 3-for-4 and added the Blazers' lone RBI.
The Gaels' Marcia-Marie Euker scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning to give St. Mary's its first victory of the 2004 campaign.
The UAB softball team will resume play in the 2004 Paradise Classic at 1 p.m. (CST) on Saturday, as the Blazers square off against the BYU Cougars in the first game of the day here in Honolulu, Hawaii.
St. Mary's (1-4) def. UAB (1-2), 2-1 (nine innings).
SMC 000 000 011 - 2 7 2
UAB 000 000 010 - 1 6 1
Top Hitters: UAB, Beth Mullins 3-4, RBI; SMC, Eleni Papailias 2-2, RBI, Claudia Williams 2-4, RBI.
WP: Jennifer Eaton (1-2); LP: Erica Mascarenas (1-1).
