The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Softball Resumes C-USA Action At UCF This Weekend
3/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 25, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB softball team will continue Conference USA action this weekend by traveling to UCF. The three-game series will kick off Saturday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. ET and will conclude Sunday with a single contest at 12 p.m. ET at the UCF Softball Complex in Orlando, Fla.
Live Coverage
Blazer fans can follow this weekend's action through Gametracker live stats at uabsports.com and All-Access streaming available at ucfathletics.ustv.com.
UAB At A Glance
UAB has claimed nine of its last 10 contests and is 7-0 on the road heading into this weekend's series at UCF.
The Blazers have swept back-to-back league series. Last weekend, UAB swept a three-game series against Southern Miss at UAB Softball Field to mark the first time in school history that the Blazers have started conference play with a perfect 6-0 record.
The UAB pitching staff ranks first in C-USA with a 1.28 team ERA. The Blazers have recorded 11 shutouts and held opponents to a .184 batting average. Lauren Webster (9-2) has a league-low ERA of 0.57 after allowing just four earned runs in 49.0 innings pitched.
The Green and Gold are currently hitting .246 as a team. Right fielder Sallie Van Kirk leads the team with a .333 batting average. Center fielder Caley Walden has posted a team-high 17 runs and 31 hits, while shortstop Kayla Orr has registered 18 RBI.
Scouting UCF
UCF enters this weekend's series with an 11-20 overall record and a 2-4 mark in league play. The Knights claimed a series against UTEP, 3-1, before going 0-3 against Tulsa last weekend.
UCF is 10-13 at the UCF Softball Complex so far this season. In their last outing, the Knights capitalized on a three-run second inning to edge Kent State, 3-2, in a non-conference midweek matchup.
UCF is hitting .252 as a team with second baseman Natalie Land leading the Knight offense. Land is hitting at a .356 clip with a team-high 24 runs and nine extra-base hits. Third baseman Allie Jest has notched a team-high 33 hits, while catcher Abby McClain leads the team with 21 RBI.
Lacey Dinney (8-6) and Diana Rojas (3-6) have spent the most time in the circle for UCF so far this season. Dinney has posted a 2.89 ERA after recording 67 strikeouts and allowing 34 earned runs in 82.1 innings of work. Rojas owns a 3.79 ERA after giving up 39 earned runs in 22 appearances.
Recent Series History
Saturday's opener will mark the 15th all-time meeting between the two teams with UAB leading the all-time series, 8-7. Last season UAB claimed the league series against UCF, 2-1, in Birmingham.
The Blazers came from behind in the sixth to edge the Knights, 2-1, in the series opener, before claiming the nightcap, 5-2, after a four-run first inning. UAB plated a run and put the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh in Sunday's finale, but was unable to capitalize and fell to UCF, 4-3.
Last Time Out
UAB swept a midweek doubleheader at Samford on 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.
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.
