The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Depaul
Softball Drops Two Against DePaul, 8-0 & 3-1
5/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 8, 2004
CHICAGO --- The UAB softball team dropped a pair of Conference USA contests against the DePaul Blue Demons on Saturday as the Blazers were defeated in the first game, 8-0, and then fell, 3-1, in the second matchup of the doubleheader here at Wish Field.
UAB (19-36, 6-17 C-USA) snapped its three-game winning streak and was officially eliminated from next week's 2004 C-USA Tournament. The Blazers, who held the seventh-place position in the conference standings heading into Saturday's games, needed to sweep DePaul in order to qualify for the six-team postseason tournament.
DePaul (25-27-1, 13-8 C-USA) remained undefeated against the Blazers and improved its unblemished all-time record in the series to 18-0. The Blue Demons are currently the fourth-place team in the conference and will host the Blazers in the final matchup of the three-game series at noon on Sunday.
DePaul, the 2003 C-USA champions, jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
Sarah Martz, the Blue Demons' starting pitcher and leadoff hitter, stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and hit her fourth home run of the season. With the solo shot to straightaway center field, Martz gave DePaul a quick 1-0 advantage.
The Blue Demons extended their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning. DePaul's third baseman Jenny Doezie led off the frame with an infield single and later scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Dana Kenney. Doezie, a junior from Fountain Valley, Calif., went 2-for-2 with three RBI and one run scored in the first game.
DePaul rallied for three runs in the bottom of the third inning to increase its lead to 5-0. With the bases loaded and one out, the Blue Demons' Doezie continued her hot hitting as she lined a shot into center field. The bases-clearing single scored three runs and DePaul increased its lead to 5-0.
The Blue Demons tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a substantial 8-0 advantage.
Kenney led off the frame with a single to center field and then Saskia Roberson followed with a base hit down the left-field line. Roberson, DePaul's first baseman from San Leandro, Calif., finished the first game with a 2-for-3 batting line and a run scored. With runners on first and second, Christina Douglas gave the Blue Demons an 8-0 lead as she doubled to left-center field to drive in both runs.
UAB's Chelsea McCall and Holly Krzan registered the team's two hits in the first game on Saturday.
McCall, the Blazers' sophomore from Gresham, Ore., opened the game with a double down the left-field line, while Krzan reached on an infield single in the fourth inning. Krzan, a freshman from West Richland, Wash., currently leads the Blazers with 23 runs scored this season.
In Saturday's second game, DePaul picked up right where it left off as the Blue Demons notched three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
DePaul's Martz, Roberson and Linda Secka all singled in the frame, while Sarah Douglas tripled down the right-field line to score Roberson from first base. Douglas then gave the Blue Demons a 3-0 advantage as she scored from third base on a wild pitch.
UAB trimmed DePaul's lead to 3-1 in the top of the fourth inning as senior Amanda Ellis used her speed to manufacture the Blazers' lone run of the day.
Ellis, UAB's starting catcher from Axis, drew a one-out walk from the Blue Demons' Kate Sheaks and then moved her way to second as she stole her ninth base of the season. During the stolen base attempt, the ball got away from DePaul's starting shortstop, Kathleen Goss, so Ellis took off for third. The Blue Demons' second baseman Christina Douglas then picked up the loose ball but overthrew the play at third base allowing Ellis to score.
Shortly thereafter, DePaul's Tracie Adix came in to pitch and the 5-11 freshman shut down the Blazers for the final three innings of the game. The save proved to be her first of the season and the Blue Demons took a 3-1 victory.
UAB's Kris Lara, Nicole Whitlock, Dusti Roberts, Lauren Terry and McCall all registered hits in game two of the doubleheader.
The UAB softball team will conclude its three-game series against DePaul on Sunday at noon here at Wish Field in Chicago, Ill.
Game 1: DePaul (24-27-1, 12-8) def. UAB (19-35, 6-16), 8-0 (5)
UAB 000 0 0 - 0 2 2
DPU 113 3 x - 8 10 1
Top Hitters: UAB, Chelsea McCall 1-2, Holly Krzan 1-2; DPU, Jenny Doezie 2-2, 3 RBI, R, Christina Douglas 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, Saskia Roberson 2-3, R.
WP: Sara Martz (19-12), LP: Tara Higashino (10-21).
Game 2: DePaul (25-27-1, 13-8) def. UAB (19-36, 6-17), 3-1
UAB 000 100 0 - 1 5 0
DPU 300 000 x - 3 8 2
Top Hitters: UAB, Dusti Roberts 1-2, Kris Lara 1-3, Nicole Whitlock 1-3, Lauren Terry 1-3; DPU, Sara Martz 2-3 R, Sarah Douglas 1-2 R, RBI, Saskia Roberson 1-3 R, RBI.
WP: Katie Sheaks (2-6), LP: Brittany Hodge (3-6).
Save: Tracie Adix (1).
