The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Samford
UAB Softball Sweeps Doubleheader At Samford
3/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 22, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB softball team swept a doubleheader at Samford Tuesday. Catherine Douglass' key homer in the seventh inning handed UAB the 3-1 win over Samford in the opener, before the Blazers blasted a season-high 15 hits to down the Bulldogs 11-2 in the nightcap.
With the wins UAB improves to 22-8 overall, while Samford falls to 5-24.
Catcher Mandy Lowman went 4-for-6 with two runs and one RBI Tuesday to lead UAB offensively, while center fielder Caley Walden went 5-for-9 with one run and one RBI.
"I'm proud of the way the girls stuck with it today," UAB head coach Marla Townsend said. "They kept making adjustments at the plate and had double-digit hits in the second game. That's what we need. We had great bat control and really performed well at the plate. Also, I think the pitchers knew the defense was solid behind them."
Game One: UAB 3, Samford 1
Douglass came through with a big two-out two-run homer in the seventh inning to send UAB past Samford 3-1 in the first game.
The Blazers out-hit the Bulldogs, 7-4, in the contest. Douglass finished 2-for-4 with one run and two RBI to lead UAB at the plate, while Walden finished 2-for-4 with one run.
UAB scored its first run in the third inning. Pinch runner Tiffany Smith moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by left fielder Hailey Glynn. Smith then scored from second on a double to leftfield by right fielder Sallie Van Kirk to give UAB the 1-0 advantage.
Samford evened the score in the bottom of the fifth frame after leadoff Amanda Jordan blasted a long ball over the centerfield wall. The Bulldogs put two more runners in scoring position with no outs during the inning, but the Blazers forced back-to-back foul fly outs and a groundout to escape any further scoring.
In the seventh with two outs, Walden reached on a single and stole second. Then Douglass blasted her first long ball of the season to give UAB the 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Jordan walked and second baseman Lakan Smith doubled down the leftfield line to put two runners in scoring position, but Blazer pitcher Leigh Streetman struck out a batter and forced a fly out to secure the win.
Streetman (6-3) went the distance in the circle for UAB, holding Samford to four hits and one earned run.
Bulldog pitcher Kayla Burris (3-10) suffered the loss after allowing seven hits and three earned runs.
Game Two: UAB 11, Samford 2
UAB exploded for a season-high 15 hits in the second game to defeat Samford 11-2.
In the first inning, Bulldog designated player Robyn Harmon was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Jordan hit an infield single to plate Harmon and give Samford the early 1-0 lead.
Designated player Kristen McGrath blasted a three-run homer over the centerfield wall in the second inning to give UAB the 3-1 lead.
Samford scored again in the bottom of the third after left fielder Aaren Fisher belted an RBI-single to narrow the Blazer lead to 3-2.
UAB scored a run in both the fourth and fifth innings on RBI-singles by Walden and second baseman Natalie Mitchell to take the 5-2 advantage.
The Blazers then went off for four runs in the sixth inning. Lowman and McGrath knocked back-to-back RBI singles before a Bulldog miscue plated a pair of runs.
The Green and Gold added two more runs in the seventh after Douglass crossed the plate on another Bulldog error and third baseman Donna Plath doubled down the leftfield line to score Anna Kimbrell.
Senior right-hander Alisha Smith made the start for UAB in the circle, fanning five batters and giving up one earned run in 2.1 innings of work. Lauren Webster (9-2) took over the in third inning and picked up the win after allowing no earned runs in the final 4.1 innings. Both Smith and Webster combined for 11 Bulldog strikeouts.
Emily Waters (0-2) took the loss for Samford after surrendering three earned runs and six hits in the first two frames. Nicole Bobrowski tossed the final five innings, giving up eight runs, one earned, on nine hits.
The Blazers return to action this weekend, traveling to UCF for a weekend series. The action starts Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.
