The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
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Mississippi State
Mississippi State Edges UAB, 4-3
3/20/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 20, 2012
Box Score (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. – The UAB softball team was edged, 4-3, by Mississippi State on Tuesday at the MSU Softball Stadium. The Blazers (16-11, 3-0 C-USA) matched the Bulldogs (18-12, 3-7 SEC) with seven hits, but committed five costly errors that put MSU on top.
UAB struck first in the top of the first frame. Leadoff batter Whitney Fletcher singled to the first baseman. The ball hit off the fielder’s bare hand and rolled toward the UAB dugout, allowing Fletcher to advance to second. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Catherine Crawford and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Kayla Orr.
The Bulldogs tied it up in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on two UAB errors. Mississippi State scored the go-ahead run in the third inning. With the bases loaded and one out Heidi Shape hit a ground ball to Crawford at shortstop. Crawford made the throw home, but catcher Mandy Lowman’s foot was never on home plate and the runner was called safe.
In the fifth inning, MSU had a chance to take a commanding lead, but UAB’s defense held strong. The bases were juiced with no outs and reliever Leigh Streetman struck out the next three batters in a row to escape the inning.
The Blazers took the lead, 3-2, in the sixth. Crawford smacked a leadoff double and scored on a K. Orr single to right field. Chandler Orr entered the game to run for her sister and moved to second on a ground out by Lowman. Kristen McGrath hit a double to right center to score C. Orr.
The Bulldogs took advantage of another Blazer error and scored the tying run in the bottom of the sixth. With the winning run on second in the seventh inning, Mississippi State’s Erin Nesbit hit a walk-off single to left field.
Lannah Campbell got the start for UAB, allowing five hits, two runs and striking out six batters in 4.0 innings pitched. Streetman (6-4) entered the game in the fifth inning and suffered the loss, allowing the winning run to score and striking out three batters in 2.1 innings.
Stephanie Becker started the game in the circle for the Bulldogs. She gave up four hits, one earned run and struck out seven batters in 6.1 innings pitched. Kylie Vry tossed the remaining 0.2 innings and allowed three hits and two earned runs.
The Blazers return to conference action this weekend when they travel to Huntington, W.Va. for a three-game series at Marshall. UAB will play a single game on Friday beginning at 3 p.m. ET and a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. ET.
