The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Marshall
UAB Splits Doubleheader Against Conference Foe Marshall
3/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 17, 2007
Box Score | Box Score (Game Two)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Blazer pitcher Jennifer Nelson tossed her fourth shutout of the season and held the Marshall Thundering Herd (16-10, 3-2 C-USA) to four hits en route to a 1-0 victory in UAB's first Conference USA win of the season. Despite a 1-1 tie at the end of seven innings, the Herd had a seven-run eighth inning to take an 8-3 win over UAB (18-13, 1-3 C-USA) in the second game of the doubleheader at George Ward Park.
Game one was a defensive duel, as only two runners advanced past second base through the entire game. Both pitchers delivered solid complete-game performances, as Nelson and Marshall pitcher Abigail Harter each struck out five.
The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the third after Blazer second baseman Leigh Walker led off the inning with a base hit to leftfield. Rightfielder Allison Davis' sacrifice bunt moved Walker to second and centerfielder Lindsay Stanley knocked a single to put runners at the corners. Shorstop Holly Krzan followed with a perfect bunt and Walker ran home to complete the suicide squeeze, giving the Blazers a 1-0 edge.
Nelson (12-5) cruised through the final four innings, retiring the side in the top of the seventh to cap off the Blazer win.
Game two was nearly déjà vu for the Blazers, as they took a 1-0 lead in the third again. Stanley slapped a single and Krzan picked up her second RBI of the day with a double into left-centerfield.
Marshall catcher Rachel Folden tied the game when the wind carried her seventh homerun of the year over the rightfield fence.
The game remained tied until the Herd opened the floodgates in the eighth, stringing together seven runs on seven hits to take an 8-1 lead.
UAB mounted a rally in the bottom half of the inning when Davis knocked in a pair of runs on a single, but the Herd was able to hold on for the 8-3 victory.
Blazer pitcher Kayla Harris (5-5) allowed five hits and one run through seven innings before the Herd's bats caught fire in the eighth.
UAB is now 3-2 in extra inning games, suffering its first extra-inning loss at home.
The two teams round out the series on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
