The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
South Alabama
Errors Hurt UAB in Doubleheader Loss to South Alabama
3/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 18, 2008
South Alabama 3, UAB 1 | South Alabama 5, UAB 3
MOBILE, Ala. --- The UAB softball team dropped a doubleheader to South Alabama, losing 3-1 and 5-3, Tuesday afternoon. Leigh Walker and Amanda Allen each hit home runs in the losing efforts.
The two losses put the Blazers at 14-18 overall and 1-9 in their last 10 games. South Alabama improves to 13-13 with the doubleheader sweep.
"We are playing against ourselves right now," head coach Marla Townsend said. "The trouble with the club right now -- in the slump -- is that we are not trusting our instincts and forcing things to happen. Our mindset right now is playing not to lose instead of playing to win."
Errors played the key role in the Blazers' loss in game two. UAB committed three of its four errors in the bottom of the fifth inning. Those errors gave way to a five-run inning for the Jaguars and erased a 3-0 Blazers' lead.
UAB scored the game's first runs in the fifth inning with two doubles and a two-run home run from Allen. Cameron Skates doubled off the glove of Corey Race playing third to start the frame. She scored on Nelson's double to right center. Allen then came up and smacked the first pitch she saw from pitcher Amanda Leggett to straight away center for her first-career home run giving the Blazers a 3-0 lead.
The lead wouldn't hold past the bottom of the inning as the Jaguars used three hits and five UAB errors to make it 5-3.
The inning began with a walk, which was magnified when Skates' throw to second sailed into right field on the next play. South Alabama then singled home Evelyne Pare from third, cutting the deficit to 3-1. A short-hoping ground ball was misplayed by Walker leading to the Jaguars' second run of the inning. Tara Donaldson then singled up the middle scoring one run and tying the game at three. The Jaguars' go-ahead run would score when Walker couldn't handle a throw while covering first. The final damage would score on an RBI bunt single that appeared to headed foul, before checking up six inches shy of the foul line.
It was the third four-error game of the year for the Blazers, who enter one of the most crucial strecthes of their schedule this upcoming week. UAB hosts Memphis in a three-game Conference USA series this weekend.
It was also the first loss for UAB when out hitting their opponents. The Blazers had six hits compared to the four hits for the Jaguars, making them 11-1 when out hitting their opponents.
Jennifer Nelson (8-12) took the loss despite the four-hit effort. She struck out eight but walked seven. Just one of the five runs against her were earned. Amanda Leggett (2-6) was the game's winning pitcher
"As an athlete this is the one of the hardest situations you have to overcome and play through," Townsend said. "Right now we are just putting too much weight on our own shoulders instead of relying on the team to pick them up."
The Blazers played a hard fought contest to open the doubleheader and used defense to keep in the game. However, single runs in the middle innings by South Alabama gave them a 3-1 victory.
The defense was the only thing UAB had to hang its hats on in the defeat outside of Walker's 3-for-3 performance at the dish.
Two fantastic plays in the field helped UAB keep South Alabama off the board in the first inning. Krzan recorded the first out at third on a bunt that cleared Skates, charging from third. Krzan fielded the ball and dove behind her to tag Pare sliding into third. Instead of runners at the corner with no outs, the Jaguars had a runner at first with one out. Rogers' hussle helped the Blazers clear the inning free of runs.
Rogers chased down at the backstop and flipped it to Harris, covering home, for the final out of the inning.
Krzan made another headups play to end the third, when the ground ball she fielded was too deep in the hole to throw out the runner at first. Instead, Krzan took the short way and nailed the runner moving from second to third on the play.
The Jaguars scored a run in the inning, however, with a triple off the bat of Pare. She scored on a seeing-eye single by Kelsy Donaldson to take a 1-0 lead. South Alabama generated a run in the fourth. Jenny Stevens singled, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. She scored on a single by Kristen Hayes.
A Krzan throwing error allowed the Jaguars third run of the game to score in the fifth.
The Blazers knocked out six hits in game one, with Walker picking a single, double and homer. Her long ball in the seventh inning was the third of the season and the 13th of her career. She also stole two bases in one game for the first time in her career. Krzan, Rogers and Callaway each had singles.
Kayla Harris fell to 6-6 on the season with the loss. She covered the distance giving up eight hits and striking out four in the process. Beth Pilgrim was the pitcher of record for South Alabama. She struck out seven while walking two.
UAB loaded the bases in the fifth inning with two outs but were unable to push across any runners. South Alabama then scored one run to make a 3-0 game heading to the sixth inning.
The Blazers return home to host Memphis this weekend in their third Conference USA series of the season. The two teams will play a single game Friday evening and a doubleheader on Saturday. Friday's game begins at 6 p.m. with Saturday's twin-bill starting at 1 p.m.
