The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Saint Louis
UAB Battles Back To Beat Saint Louis, 6-5
3/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 11, 2009
UAB Battles Back To Beat Saint Louis, 6-5 Back-to-back home runs spark comeback
Saint Louis 9, UAB 1 • UAB 6, Saint Louis 5
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Senior Andrea Rogers and sophomore Amanda Allen hit back-to-back home runs to help the UAB softball team (9-12, 2-1 Conference USA) battle back from being down, 5-1, and claim a 6-5 win over the Saint Louis Bilikens in the second game of a doubleheader at George Ward Park on Wednesday. The Blazers dropped the first game, 9-1.
"We came out flat," said UAB head coach Marla Townsend. "We didn't play with the right mindset in the first game."
In the first game, the Blazers scored early but could do little else the rest of the game. Saint Louis tied the game in the fourth before opening up a 6-1 lead with a five-run fifth inning. The Bilikens scored three more runs in the seventh to secure the 9-1 win.
UAB was held to one run off of two hits. Saint Louis' batters scattered 10 hits with Erin Cejka going 3-for-4 at the plate.
Junior Sara Swepston was credited with the loss after pitching seven innings and striking out four.
"In the second game," said Townsend, "we started hitting like we knew we could hit. We just had to get our heads back in the game and play ball. This team is young. We still have to learn that no game is ever out of reach. We need to have that mentality all of the time."
The second game started off much like the first. UAB was able to score early after Rogers singled, allowing Martina Landrum to score from third. But over the next three innings, the Blazers bats went cold.
Saint Louis was able to post another five-run fifth inning off of six hits before freshman pitcher Amber Torres replaced freshman Lindsey Croft. Croft went 4.2 innings and struck out three on the afternoon.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Blazers led things off with sophomore Caley Walden reaching first on a bunt. Three batters later and with two outs, Rogers hit a two-run home run to left field to close the gap, 5-3. It was her third on the season. Allen then proceeded to hit a solo shot to right centerfield to edge closer, 5-4. But UAB fouled out before doing any more damage. Allen's homer was her fourth this year.
The Bilikens were able to load the bases in the sixth inning but unable to plate a single run.
In the sixth inning, the Blazers were able to seal the victory. Landrum doubled to right centerfield allowing freshman Maegan Hornsby to score from second. Then with runners on second and third with two outs, freshman Catherine Douglass was able to lay down a bunt and beat the throw to first. On the throw to first, Walden was able to reach home plate from third and score the winning run, 6-5.
Torres picked up the win and improved to 3-2 on the season. In 2.1 innings pitched, Torres struck out one and walked one while allowing no hits by Saint Louis.
Rogers lead UAB at the plate with three hits in four at-bats. She also had three RBI and one run scored.
With the split, UAB moves to 9-12 on the season and 2-1 in conference play.
The Blazers resume league play this weekend as they head to Orlando, Fla. to take on UCF. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. Saturday's first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT.
