The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Memphis
UAB Softball Splits Doubleheader At Memphis
4/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 30, 2011
Game One Box Score 
| Game Two Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- UAB first baseman Kayla Orr belted her fourth home run of the season to lead the Blazer softball team to a 4-2 win over the Memphis Tigers in game one of a doubleheader at the Tiger Softball Complex on Saturday. The Blazers (34-16, 14-6 C-USA) dropped the second game to the Tigers (32-11, 12-7 C-USA), 1-0.
"We've got to do a better job of giving our pitchers run support," UAB head coach Marla Townsend said. "Alisha and Leigh were both solid today, but in that second game, we didn't take advantage of having runners on base and generating runs the way we did in the first game."
Game One: UAB 4, Memphis 2
UAB took a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a pair of walks and bloop double to right field. Shortstop Catherine Douglass and catcher Mandy Lowman walked to put runners at first and second before third baseman Kate Armstrong knocked a two-out blooper just over the head of the second baseman, plating Douglass for the one-run lead.
Orr made it 2-0 with a solo shot in the third. Orr took a 1-1 pitch over the leftfield wall for her fourth homer of the season.
Memphis tied the game in the bottom of the third, scoring a pair of unearned runs. With one out, catcher Keanah Prestridge struck out, but a dropped third strike and an errant throw allowed Prestridge to make it to first safely. After leadoff batter Heather Mott singled and a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, third baseman Maddie McKinley doubled to the gap in right-center to make it 2-2.
UAB regained the lead in the fourth thanks to some heads up base-running. Rightfielder Tiffany Smith was hit by a pitch with two outs, then stole second. Leftfielder Sallie Van Kirk singled to the shortstop, and while the shortstop hesitated on the throw, Smith rounded third for home. The throw home was in time, but Prestridge dropped the ball as Smith slid in for the 3-2 lead.
Smith and Van Kirk struck again in the seventh. Smith ripped a double to right field and Van Kirk dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but an errant throw allowed Smith to score and give the Blazers a 4-2 cushion.
Alisha Smith (10-4) tossed 4.1 innings of three-hit ball, giving up two runs, both unearned, while striking out two. Leigh Streetman picked up her seventh save of the season, pitching 2.2 shutout innings while giving up just one hit. Carly Hummel (18-5) went the distance in the loss, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with five strikeouts.
Game Two: Memphis 1, UAB 0
Centerfielder Kamri Chester's home run in the sixth proved to be the difference in the game. Chester went deep for the first time this season, collecting the game's lone run.
Memphis threatened to put the game's first run on the board in the third after Mott led off the inning with a double. Two hit batters loaded the bases, but Streetman induced a foul pop fly to work out of the jam.
The Blazers matched the Tigers' threat in the top of the fourth, using a base-hit and two hit batters to load the bases. Tiger starter Janelle Valle also ended the threat with a foul pop up.
Streetman (11-7) allowed just the one run on six hits through seven innings and fanned eight to take the loss. Valle (6-2) tossed a five-hit shutout and struck out seven.
Next Up: The Blazers and Tigers conclude the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
