Blazers Complete Conference Series Sweep Over UTEP

Sunday, March 25

George Ward Park

1:00 PM

UAB

UTEP

Blazers Complete Conference Series Sweep Over UTEP

3/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball

March 25, 2007

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Junior second baseman Leigh Walker crushed a solo homerun over the leftfield fence to lead the UAB softball team to a 3-0 win over the visiting UTEP Miners (21-13, 3-6) at George Ward Park. Walker finished the day 3-for-3 with two RBI as the Blazers (22-16, 5-3) captured their first Conference USA series sweep of the season.

Junior pitcher Jennifer Nelson (15-6) delivered her best performance of the year, allowing just one hit and striking out 11 en route to her fifth shutout of the season. Nelson picked up her 15th win of the season, matching her career-high of 15 wins from last season.

Nelson came out of the gate firing, retiring the first six consecutive batters. The Miners lone hit came in the third, as a bunt rolled just past Nelson's outstretched glove allowing the runner to reach first. UTEP threatened, loading the bases with two out, but Nelson worked out of the jam with a grounder to third for the force out.

The Blazers bats were silent until the bottom of the third when Walker led off the inning with her first homerun of the season. Lindsay Stanley followed with a single and advanced to third when Holly Krzan knocked another single into centerfield. Stanley later scored when the shortstop misplayed Nicole Tumlin's grounder, putting the Blazers up 2-0.

Walker struck again in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI-single into shallow rightfield to give the Blazers a 3-0 lead.

Three runs were more than enough for Nelson, as she sat down 12 consecutive batters through the final four innings, including striking out the side in the sixth.

The three-game winning streak ties the Blazers' longest of the season.

After completing the longest homestand of the season, UAB will hit the road on Tuesday for a doubleheader at Kennesaw State before heading to Houston, Texas, for a weekend series against the conference-leading Houston Cougars.