The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Softball Team To Face Jacksonville State
2/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 21, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB softball team returns to action on Tuesday as the Blazers face Jacksonville State in a doubleheader scheduled for 4 p.m. at George Ward Park.
The Blazers (7-6) had the weekend off after going 2-1 last week, sweeping a doubleheader from in-state foe Alabama A&M, and then falling to Auburn, 14-0, on the road on Wednesday. Tuesday's games versus Jacksonville State are just UAB's third and fourth at home this season.
UAB has already played in a pair of tournaments this season; the Bama Bash and FIU DeLong Invitational, and will hit the west coast this weekend to participate in the Stanford Invitational. Jacksonville State (4-1) fell to nationally-ranked Georgia on Feb. 13 in its last game, as the Gamecocks made it to the championship game of the Georgia Softball Classic.
The Blazers lost a pair of games to the Gamecocks on the road last season by scores of 2-1 and 3-0. JSU went on to finish 41-21 overall last season and went 16-9 in Ohio Valley Conference play, finishing fifth in the conference standings. The Gamecocks own victories this season over Appalachian State, Georgia, and two over Winthrop with just the lone loss to Georgia.
True freshman Leigh Walker is the Blazers' top hitter to this point in the season, as the Clay, Ala., native is batting .412 with seven hits and has scored four runs. She also has three RBI to her credit. Senior Erica Mascaenas and freshman Jennifer Nelson have been solid on the mound for UAB, combining for a 6-2 record, four complete games, and three shutouts.
Mascarenas (4-0) owns a scant 1.40 ERA and has pitched two-straight complete game shutouts. Nelson tossed a perfect game against Alabama A&M last week to even her record at 2-2, as she struck out eight batters.
The Blazers will face Auburn, Sacramento State, Stanford, Texas Tech, and UC Davis this weekend in Palo Alto, Calif., in the Stanford Invitational. UAB's first game is against Sacramento State at 9 a.m. on Friday.
