The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Virginia Tech
UAB Edges Out Virginia Tech 10-9
2/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 18, 2007
AUBURN, Ala. -- The Blazers bats heated up for their second game of the day at the Auburn Tiger Invitational, gathering 10 hits and topping the Virginia Tech Hokies 10-9 on a cold, rainy night at Jane B. Moore Field. Jennifer Nelson went the distance, striking out seven and picking up her third win of the season. UAB improves to 4-4 overall, 2-2 in the tournament.
The game was a sloppy one, as both teams combined for six errors, 23 hits and only 11 earned runs.
The Hokies jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on three consecutive singles in the first inning.
UAB came alive in the second inning when Amanda Antonovich walked then moved to second on Kayla Harris' single. A passed ball allowed both runners to advance then Jennifer Nelson plated Antonovich with a single. The base-hit extended Nelson's hitting streak to seven games. Leigh Walker followed with a fly ball to right field, but the ball hit off the glove of the rightfielder, allowing Harris to score. Allison Davis drove in Walker with a single to give the Blazers a 3-1 lead. Lindsay Stanley slapped a single then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Another error, this time on the Hokies' first baseman, allowed both runs to score and put the Blazers up 5-1.
Mistakes in the third cost the Blazers four runs, as Virginia Tech tied the game 5-5. Walker fumbled the ball at second to put the lead-off hitter on. The Hokies followed with two singles to cut the Blazers' lead to three. An error on Krzan at shortstop loaded the bases and the Virginia Tech smacked two more singles for two runs.
The Hokies took advantage of the Blazers' sloppy play again in the fourth. UAB third baseman Nicole Tumlin misplayed a ground ball, putting a runner at first with one out for Virginia Tech. The Hokies churned out four hits and four runs in the inning to take a 9-5 lead.
But UAB rallied in the bottom half of the inning, stringing together five hits to regain the lead 10-9. Walker slapped a double into centerfield and advanced to third on Davis' single to shortstop. Stanley plated Walker with a bloop single into leftfield and Krzan delivered a two-RBI double into rightfield to cut Virginia Tech's lead to one. Then Andrea Rogers stepped up and slammed her fourth homerun of the season, a two-run blast that put the Blazers on top for good.
Nelson (3-1) was strong through seven innings, allowing only three earned runs despite giving up 13 hits.
The win marks the second for the Blazers over the Hokies this season. UAB defeated Virginia Tech (6-2) last weekend at the Georgia State First Pitch Classic and remain the only team this season to beat the Hokies.
UAB finishes off the tournament Sunday at 3:00 p.m. against the Auburn Tigers.
