The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Softball Squares Off Against DePaul In Final Regular-Season Series
5/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2004
CHICAGO --- The UAB softball team will attempt to extend its three-game winning streak this weekend as the Blazers conclude their regular-season schedule with a three-game Conference USA series against the DePaul Blue Demons beginning on Saturday at noon at Wish Field.
UAB (19-34, 6-15) is currently in the midst of a three-game winning streak and is coming off of its first series sweep of the 2004 season. On Sunday, the Blazers defeated Saint Louis, 10-6, and completed a three-game sweep of the Billikens at George Ward Park.
With a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the final contest, UAB extended its winning streak to three-consecutive games and remained undefeated at home against Saint Louis. The Blazers own a lopsided 14-2 all-time record versus the Billikens and possess an unblemished 9-0 mark against Saint Louis in Birmingham.
UAB is currently the seventh-place team in the conference and trails East Carolina by two games in a battle for sixth place. The top-six teams in the final regular-season standings will qualify for the C-USA Tournament in Louisville, Ky., and the Blazers need to sweep DePaul this weekend and have Charlotte sweep East Carolina in order to make the field.
DePaul (23-27-1, 11-8) is currently the fourth-place team in the conference and has already clinched a spot in next week's C-USA tournament. UAB and DePaul will play two games on Saturday and will then close out the final regular-season series on Sunday at noon.
After putting together a seven-game winning streak in mid-to-late April, DePaul has fallen upon some tough times as of late as the Blue Demons have been defeated in eight of their previous 11 games. After losing both games on the road against Southern Miss, DePaul split a midweek series versus Notre Dame on April 27 and was then swept by cross-town rival Illinois-Chicago.
Last week, the Blue Demons played two games against the 17th-ranked USF Bulls and split the C-USA series. USF won the first contest, 6-3, but DePaul rebounded with a 6-0 shutout victory over the Bulls in game two.
In its four seasons of existence, UAB has never defeated the Blue Demons. The teams have played 16 times since the 2000 campaign and DePaul owns an unblemished 16-0 all-time record against the Blazers.
Last year, UAB and DePaul squared off three times at George Ward Park in Birmingham and the Blue Demons earned a trio of victories, 8-1, 4-1 and 2-1. While playing against the Blazers at Wish Field in Chicago, Ill., DePaul holds a decisive 6-0 advantage in the series.
The UAB softball team will attempt to win its first game against DePaul in program history on Saturday as the Blazers square off against the Blue Demons in a series-opening doubleheader beginning at noon at Wish Field in Chicago, Ill.
