The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Softball Set For Midweek Matchups
3/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 18, 2013
Game Notes vs. Alabama State and South Alabama
Live Stats: Alabama State
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--The UAB softball team will take a quick break from the Conference USA schedule to play a trio of games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Blazers will first travel to Montgomery, Ala., to play two games at Alabama State, in a doubleheader that was originally scheduled for Feb. 22. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.
On Wednesday, UAB will take on South Alabama for the second time this season at 4 p.m. CT at Jaguar Field in Mobile, Ala.
Follow @UABSoftball on Twitter for in-game updates for all three games.
Last Time Out
In UAB's first home conference series of the season, the Blazers split the opening doubleheader with East Carolina before taking Sunday's rubber match.
The Blazers fell behind by four runs in the opening game against the Pirates, and ultimately lost, 4-2.
In game two, the UAB batters came out swinging with a five-run first inning that featured junior designated hitter Kristen McGrath's seventh home run of the year. After scoring two more runs in the bottom of the second frame, UAB held on to win, 7-4. Junior pitcher Lannah Campbell was credited with her fourth save of the year as she entered the game in the seventh inning and got the team out of a bases-loaded jam with a pair of strikeouts before creating a line-out situation to third base.
On Sunday, in a game televised by Fox Sports Net, senior third baseman Kate Armstronghit her second home run of the year as the Blazers held on to win, 2-0. In the circle, Campbell pitched a complete game and struck out nine batters, which matched her career high.
UAB held East Carolina to a .177 batting average for the weekend, and out-hit the Pirates 27-14. Armstrong led the Blazers on the weekend with a batting average of .667, two runs on six hits, a home run, two RBI and a slugging percentage of 1.111.
Scouting Alabama State
The Hornets played one game last week, dropping a 3-0 decision to Samford at home.
Alabama State is 1-21 on the year, and has been outscored 36-4 in its last six games. Brehanna Rodrigues leads the starters with a .403 batting average, while Meagan Dixon has hit a team-best seven RBI.
UAB has topped Alabama State in each of its four meetings. The two squads last faced each other on Feb. 27, 2011 in Birmingham, and the Blazers won, 6-0.
Scouting South Alabama
The Jaguars opened the Sun Belt Conference schedule at home over the weekend, taking the first two games from Louisiana-Lafayette, 7-3 and 8-4, before falling 1-2 in the finale.
South Alabama is currently 23-5 on the year, and topped UAB, 8-2, in the Magic City Classic on March 2.
The Blazers are 2-6 all-time against the Jaguars, with the last win coming in 2010. UAB topped South Alabama, 6-0, in the matchup contested in Mobile, Ala. on Feb. 21.
Stepping Up In Conference
Compared to the six games preceding the opening of the league slate, Whitney Fletcher, Kate Armstrong, Heather Pearson and Kristen McGrath have each made strides at the plate through two C-USA series.
Fletcher has scored three runs on eight hits, including two triples, with six RBI and a batting average of .381.
After leading the Blazers in batting average against East Carolina, Armstrong has an overall mark of .375 in conference play, with two runs off six hits and a home run.
Pearson leads UAB in slugging percentage through the last six games with a mark of .818, and has recorded three runs off four hits, including a triple, and her first home run of the year.
McGrath has hit three home runs since league play started, and has seen her batting average improve from .111 in the six previous games to .263.
UAB On TV
UAB is 2-0 in televised appearances this season, defeating UCF, 8-2, on March 10 before topping East Carolina, 2-1, at home on March 17. Both contests were televised by Fox Sports Net.
Bats on Fire
Catcher Anna Kimbrell continues to lead both the team and the league in slugging percentage with a mark of .786, and also sits in a tie for third in C-USA for home runs with six. Kimbrell owns the sixth best mark in on base percentage at .436.
Designated hitter Kristen McGrath posts a slugging percentage of .645--fourth best in the league. McGrath's seven home runs are tied for most in the conference with Mackenzie Sher of Southern Miss.
With a batting average of .377, freshman Caitlin Attfield has the fourth-best mark in the conference, while her on base percentage is eighth best at .433.
Ending The Triple Drought
Sophomore Heather Pearson and senior Whitney Fletcher hit UAB's first and second triples of the year in the Blazers' 8-2 win over UCF on March 10. Fletcher is the only batter in C-USA this season to hit two triples during league action.
Before Sunday's game, Fletcher hit UAB's last triple, a season ago, as part of the Blazers' 12-4 win over Samford on April 10, 2012. UAB recorded seven total triples last season.
The last triple UAB recorded during a C-USA matchup was by former Blazer Catherine Crawford in UAB's 2-0 win over Memphis on March 11, 2012.
Going Yard
UAB has hit it out of the park 18 times on the season--the top mark in Conference USA. The Blazers are one home run ahead of Marshall (17), and two ahead of Tulsa (16).
Going into the series against East Carolina, designated hitter Kristen McGrath and catcher Anna Kimbrellwere tied for 26th in NCAA in home runs per game.
The duo has combined for 13 of the 18 home runs UAB has hit this season, and McGrath leads the league in home runs hit during conference play with three.
We Love Free Bases
Catcher Anna Kimbrell has reached base six times this season by way of being hit by pitch to average 0.38 times per game. The mark is 22nd in the nation and her six overall times is tied for second in C-USA.
Outfielder Chandler Orr has been hit by pitch six times this season.
Success in the Circle
The UAB pitching staff has posted the second-best ERA in the conference with a mark of 1.92.
In conference action, UAB's ERA is also second best at 1.33. The Blazers' pitchers have held the opposing batting average to a league-best .161, while Campbell's own mark of .108 is also top in C-USA.
Individually, Lannah Campbell owns the best ERA in the league at 0.00 through 19.0 innings. Campbell has struck out 21 batters, which is third most amongst C-USA pitchers. She also has the most saves in the conference with three.
Getting The Save
Pitcher Lannah Campbell recorded her fourth save of the year during the series against East Carolina, as she entered the second game in the seventh inning and got the Blazers out of a bases loaded jam to end the game in UAB's favor.
She is one of 14 pitchers in NCAA to have been credited with three or more saves on the year. Campbell got her first in the 4-3 win over Washington on Feb. 7, as she came into the game with one out in the fifth inning.
Campbell's second and third saves came during the series at UCF, as she closed out the seventh inning of the 5-1 game one win, then made an appearance in the fifth inning of the 8-2 win in game three.
Up Next
Next up, UAB resumes C-USA play, traveling to Memphis, Tenn., for a series at Memphis on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader is set for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch, while Sunday's game also has a 1 p.m. CT start.
