The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Memphis
Blazers Knocked Out Of C-USA Tournament By Memphis
5/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 8, 2008
HOUSTON --- The No. 8-seeded UAB softball team battled toe-to-toe with the ninth-seeded Memphis Tigers for a full seven innings in the first game of the 2008 Conference USA Championship, but eventually fell 8-6 and was eliminated from the tournament.
The Blazers conclude the season 24-35 overall, while Memphis advanced to face the first-seeded Houston Cougars Thursday evening.
"We're obviously not happy that we're only able to play one game at the tournament this year," head coach Marla Townsend said. "I thought our girls put everything on the line today and we just happened to come up short against a team that is hitting the ball well lately."
Caley Walden set a tournament and school record with three stolen bases in the contest. She ran her team-high to 15 for the season, which ranks tops among freshmen in the league.
The middle of the Blazers' lineup provided them with nearly all the runs in the game. Krzan, Rogers and Kayla Harris each tallied a hit and a RBI on the day. Caley Walden came through with her fourth multi-hit game of the season, Cameron Skates doubled and scored a run and Jennifer Nelson recorded her 18th RBI of the season.
The Blazers collected eight hits in the game, including doubles by Krzan, Rogers and Cameron Skates. Memphis, the ninth seed, had 14 hits, the highest total given up this season by UAB.
Eight runners were left on base by UAB, including five in the first four innings
"We definitely had our chances today to score a lot more runs," Townsend said. "We just didn't get that one extra thing to fall our way."
The victory was the first for Memphis over UAB this season. The Blazers previously swept the Tigers in a three-game series in March in Birmingham.
The Blazers fall to 5-11 all-time in the postseason tournament. This was the sixth overall trip to the championship and only second time in five years.
Krzan's double in the third inning was the 15th of the season and the 51st of her career, which is the fourth most all-time in C-USA history. It was Rogers' 21st career double and 10th of the season and Skates' 11th double of the season.
Jennifer Nelson started her 115th career game, becoming the Blazers' all-time leader in the category. She passed Kerri Foster who played for UAB from 2000-03.
Walden, who was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team Wednesday, tied former UAB great Cliffanie Engram for the tournament record in stolen bases in one game. Engram set the mark in 2001 when she swipped three bags against Saint Louis. Walden is the fifth UAB player to achieve the mark in UAB history.
The Blazers led 2-1, thanks to three miscues by Memphis, heading into the top of the third inning, before the Tigers struck with a four-run inning, which was capped by a three-run home run by Leigh Rowan.
UAB evened the scored in the bottom of the third by stringing three hits together. Krzan and Rogers started off the inning with back-to-back doubles, which was followed by a RBI single by Harris scoring Rogers from second. Harris later moved and eventually scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 5-5.
Memphis responded in the fourth and pushed its lead to 7-5. A solid relay throw from Mary Kendall Butler in centerfield gunned down Kailey Kassner, who was trying to push a single into a double. Butler's throw saved a run and kept the deficit at two runs.
The Blazers' best opportunity to tie the game came in the bottom of the sixth. Nelson started off the inning with a walk and was replaced to run by Butler, who eventually scored on a pinch-hit single by Kayla Orr. Back-to-back walks had the bases loaded with two outs, but UAB was unable to capitalize and Memphis escaped the inning with the one-run lead.
UAB went down in order in the seventh, after Memphis increased its lead to 8-6, to finish the game.
Nelson lasted three innings, giving up six hits and five runs. Her four strikeouts ran her career total to 804, the fifth most all-time in C-USA history.
Harris (10-14) took the loss, hurling four innings and giving up three runs. She had perfect command striking out five and not allowing a walk.
UAB's two pitchers combined to strikeout nine, the highest total since the Blazers struck out 11 against Mississippi Valley.
Kimber Bossom went the distance for Memphis and improved to 11-15 on the season. She struck out eight and walked four.
