The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Softball Team Resumes C-USA Play at Charlotte
4/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 22, 2005
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The UAB softball team will resume Conference USA play this weekend as the Blazers face the Charlotte 49ers beginning with a doubleheader at noon on Saturday at the Phillips Complex.
The series begins on Saturday with a doubleheader at noon with the final game set for Sunday at noon.
The Blazers (19-31, 5-10 C-USA) have been idle for a week after dropping a non-conference doubleheader to No. 19 Georgia Tech last Saturday in Atlanta, Ga. UAB dropped two of three games to USF at home earlier in the month in its last conference series.
Charlotte (15-33-1, 2-16) swept UNC-Greensboro on the road Wednesday and currently sits in last place in the conference standings. The Blazers have dominated the all-time series between the two teams, holding a 14-2 edge. UAB has also never lost at Charlotte as the Blazers are a perfect 6-0.
"We are ready to get back into conference play this weekend because we have not played for a week," said UAB head coach Marla Townsend. "This is now crunch time for everyone and we are fighting to try to get into the conference tournament and to do that we need to play good, solid ball starting right now."
Junior left fielder Chelsea McCall is batting a team-best .305 and leads the Blazers with 46 hits. Freshman 2B Leigh Walker is currently hitting .273 and is tied for the team lead in home runs with three. Senior CF Sara Christophel is batting .259 with two home runs and a team-leading 21 RBI. Right fielder Lindsay Stanley is batting .272 and leads the conference with 23 stolen bases.
The Blazers currently hold the sixth position in the C-USA standings, just ahead of Southern Miss (6-12). The top six teams qualify for the C-USA Tournament which will be held May 12-14 in Tampa, Fla. UAB has made the tournament four times in school history, missing just last season's event.
UAB plays host to Southern Miss next weekend in a series which could determine which team makes it to Tampa. The Golden Eagles will not be in action again until they welcome Louisiana Tech to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a doubleheader on April 27.
The Blazers will have next week off before playing host to Southern Miss April 30-May 1. The game on May 1 will begin at 1 p.m. and is Senior Day, as UAB will honor its five seniors.
