The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Drake University
Blazers Sweep on Opening Day of USF Tournament
2/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 23, 2007
Box Score | Box Score (Game Two)
TAMPA -- UAB shortstop Holly Krzan homered twice and collected six RBI to lead the Blazers to two wins at the USF "The Game" Tournament in Tampa, Fla. Blazer pitcher Kayla Harris tossed a one-hitter in a 5-0 shutout of the Eastern Michigan Eagles (0-1) and Jennifer Nelson gave up just three hits as UAB cruised to a 10-1 win over the Drake Bulldogs (3-6). The Blazers improve to 7-5 on the season.
In the first game of the day, Krzan jumped on the first pitch she saw and launched the ball over the leftfield wall to give UAB an early 1-0 lead.
After Andrea Rogers added an RBI-single in the third, the Blazers capitalized on a couple of Eagles' errors in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. With Nelson at first, Leigh Walker popped one into shallow centerfield, but the centerfielder dropped the ball, putting runners at first and second with two out. Allison Davis followed with grounder to shortstop, but the throw from short sailed past the first baseman, allowing Nelson to score from second.
The Blazers put two more on the board in the fifth. Amanda Antonovich smacked an RBI-double and Nelson continued her 10-game hitting streak with an RBI-single.
Harris (1-2) and the UAB defense shut down the Eagles, retiring ten consecutive batters to finish off the game.
Although Drake struck first in game two, the Bulldogs' 1-0 lead quickly vanished in the bottom of the second when the Blazers put three runs on the board. Walker slapped a single and later scored on an error, while Krzan delivered a two-RBI double.
The Blazers poured it on in the third, as the offense exploded for six more runs. Nicole Tumlin led the charge with a single. After Harris reached on a fielder's choice, Walker singled to rightfield to load the bases for Davis. Davis delivered a two RBI-single to put UAB on top 5-0. Krzan capped off the inning with her second homerun of the day, a three-run blast to left-centerfield. The long ball was the 15th of Krzan's career, tying the school record.
UAB iced the game in the fourth as Nelson's sacrifice fly to leftfield rounded out the scoring. The game was called in the fifth because of the eight-run-rule.
The two wins guarantee UAB a no. 1 or no. 2 seed in the tournament. The Blazers will play the host USF Bulls Saturday at 1:00 p.m. (ET) and follow with another game to be determined by tournament seed.
