The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Houston*
UAB Softball Team Drops Doubleheader At Houston
5/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2005
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
HOUSTON - The UAB softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to the Houston Cougars on Saturday in Conference USA play by scores of 6-2 and 4-3 at the Cougar Softball Complex.
The Blazers (23-37, 7-16 C-USA) had their season-high three-game winning streak snapped and saw their hopes of qualifying for the C-USA Tournament end. Houston (28-26, 11-12) earned a berth into the tournament with its pair of victories on Saturday. Southern Miss beat East Carolina by a score of 8-3 in game two of a doubleheader to clinch the sixth and final berth in the tournament.
UAB out-hit the Cougars in both games, getting 13 to Houston's nine, but the Cougars benefited from a pair of crucial home runs from senior third baseman Kristen Glowacz in each game. The Blazers have out-hit their opponent in each of their last five games.
Jennifer Nelson fell to 9-8 with the loss in game one. She allowed five runs on only two hits in 4 1/3 innings of work while walking six and striking out two. Amanda Antonovich relieved Nelson and worked 1 2/3 innings and allowed a run on two hits. She walked none and struck out one.
Angel Shamblin (10-8) picked up the victory for the Cougars as she allowed just two unearned runs and four hits in six innings of work. She walked five and struck out four. Carla Kennimer worked the final inning and allowed just a hit while striking out a batter.
Nelson carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning until Jenilee Skender broke it up with a towering two-run home run over the wall in left-center with one out in the frame. Angel Shamblin followed with a single but Nelson retired the next two batters in order to escape any further damage in the inning.
The Blazers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth but were unable to score against Shamblin as Cheslea McCall grounded into a force out at third base to end the inning.
Houston added to its lead in the bottom half of the fifth as Glowacz launched a one-out grand slam deep over the left field wall off of Amanda Antonovich, who just entered the game in relief of Nelson.
UAB once again had the bases loaded, this time in the sixth inning, but Shamblin induced Nicole Whitlock to ground out to shortstop Jaci Gonzalez, who tagged the second base bag for the third and final out as the Blazers missed another opportunity to score.
The Blazers had their third bases-loaded opportunity in the game in the top of the seventh, this time with no outs, but UAB could only muster a pair of runs. Leigh Walker led off the seventh with a double and scored on an error, and Carrie Christophel drove in the second run with a two-out single. UAB left 11 runners on base for the game, including nine in scoring position, as the Blazers left the bases loaded three times.
Coincidentally, UAB loaded the bases in the top of the first inning in game two and managed just one run, as Dusti Roberts drew a walk to bring home McCall, who had reached earlier on a bunt single.
The Blazers had the bases full in the second inning as well, and managed two runs on an RBI single by McCall and a sacrifice fly by Sara Christophel to take a 3-1 lead.
Glowacz homered with one out in the bottom of the fifth to give the Cougars a 4-3 lead. Kim Nesloney doubled with one out to lead off the inning and then Brandi Clark hit a groundball to Roberts at short, but after Nesloney faked as if she was going to attempt to go to third base, Roberts chose not to throw to first for the second out and instead opted to try to get Nesloney, who scampered back safely to second. Glowacz then stepped to the plate with a chance to give her team the lead, and the senior delivered for her 17th home run of the season.
The Blazers had runners at second and third with only one away in the sixth with the heart of the order coming up, but could not score. Lindsay Stanley was hit by a pitch and went to second after McCall reached on a bunt single. Sara Christophel sacrificed the runners to second and third but then Kris Lara popped out and Roberts grounded out to end the inning.
Brittany Hodge started for the Blazers in game two and took the tough-luck loss to fall to 2-14 this season. Hodge battled through six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, and just five hits while walking six and striking out five. Houston starter Crystal Briscoe lasted only one inning, and was tagged for three runs on four hits. She walked two and did not record a strikeout. Kennimer (10-6) pitched the final 4 1/3 innings to earn the win as she allowed just a pair of hits while striking out one. Barbie Love pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed two hits and three walks.
McCall had three hits in game two to lead the offense while Sara Christophel had two, and was 3-4 with an RBI on Saturday. Leigh Walker also collected a pair of hits in game one and was 3-5 with two runs scored for the day.
UAB closes out its 2005 season on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m. Houston will honor its seniors in a pre-game ceremony prior to Sunday's game.
