The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Softball Ready For Kennesaw State Doubleheader
3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 4, 2013
@UABSoftball | Live Stats
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--The UAB softball team returns to the road on Tuesday, traveling to Kennesaw, Ga., to take on Kennesaw State in a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT.
The two teams were originally scheduled to meet on Feb. 26, but were forced to reschedule due to inclement weather.
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Last Time Out
Over the weekend, the Blazers competed in the Magic City Classic, co-hosted by UAB and Samford at the UAB Softball Field. In the Blazers' opener, the squad topped Nicholls State, 4-1, in a game capped by a home run by senior Anna Kimbrell. The Blazers then fell to South Alabama, 8-2, on Saturday before bouncing back and shutting out Murray State, 2-0, on Sunday.
Senior pitcher Lauren Webster threw a pair of complete games in each of UAB's wins, and posted a 0.00 ERA with 26 strikeouts. Webster was named Co-Most Valuable Pitcher of the Magic City Classic, and was also named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week for her efforts.
With two home runs in two days, Kimbrell was named to the Magic City Classic All-Tournament Team, along with freshman shortstop Caitlin Attfield and junior first baseman Megan McGrath.
Scouting Kennesaw State
The Owls competed in the Georgia Southern Tournament over the weekend, and are currently 14-3 on the season.
Kennesaw State opened the tournament with a win over Alabama State, 4-2, before defeating Florida International, 5-2. The Owls split the second day of action with a 12-3 loss to South Carolina before rebounding with a 6-2 win over Georgia Southern. The squad capped the weekend with a 5-0 victory over Alabama State.
Freshman Courtney Sutter leads the team with a .500 batting average and a slugging percentage of 2.000. Senior Sharon Swanson has hit a team-best three home runs on the year.
In the all-time series between UAB and Kennesaw State, the Blazers lead 10-2. The teams last met on Feb. 28, 2012 in Birmingham, and UAB came out with a 4-0 victory.
No Base Is Safe
On the season, UAB is 16-22 in stolen base attempts. Freshman shortstop Caitlin Attfield leads the team with a perfect eight-for-eight mark in stolen base attempts. Senior outfielders Whitney Fletcher and Chandler Orr have each made three successful steals apiece, while sophomore Hayley Davis and freshman Kelly Britt have also successfully stolen base for the Blazers.
Bats on Fire
Catcher Anna Kimbrell leads both the team and the league in slugging percentage with a mark of 1.071, and also sits in a tie for first in C-USA for home runs with six. Designated hitter Kristen McGrath posts a slugging percentage of .605--eighth best in the league.
With a batting average of .366, freshman Caitlin Attfield has the seventh-best mark in the conference, while Kimbrell's average of .357 is ninth best.
Success in the Circle
Boosted by Lauren Webster's league-leading ERA of 0.83, the Blazer pitching staff has the second best team ERA in C-USA with a mark of 2.20.
In each of Webster's winning outings, she has thrown out 12 or more batters, including 14 twice, in wins over IUPUI (Feb. 17) and Murray State (March 3).
Up Next
The Blazers open up the Conference USA slate this weekend, traveling to Orlando, Fla., to face UCF on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for Noon CT. Sunday's game will start at 11 a.m. CT.
