The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Wisconsin
UAB Softball Splits on Day Two of Islanders Invitational
2/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The UAB softball team turned a 1-2-8-2 fielder's choice double play in the final inning to complete a comeback win over Wisconsin, 8-7, Saturday at Chapman Field. In the first game of the doubleheader, UAB (4-4) dropped its matchup to South Dakota, 4-3.
Megan Smith (4-3) was the pitcher of record in each game, which were both decided in the final inning.
With runners on second and third, Wisconsin's Katie Christner hit a grounder to Smith, who threw home to prevent the Badgers' Maria Van Abel from scoring. Ashley Johnson threw to Amy Dennis, who came in from center to cover second, before Dennis threw back home to tag out the Badgers' Megan Tancill.
Wisconsin and UAB both scored their first runs on throwing errors, with the Badgers scoring in the bottom of the second, and the Blazers scoring in the top of the third. In each instance, the throw got away from the respective first baseman, going far enough into the right field corner to allow the lead runner to score.
The Blazers added three more runs in the top of the third. After loading the bases, Megan Smith recorded her first career RBI on a single up the middle. With the bases still loaded, the Badgers committed a back-to-back wild pitch and passed ball to allow two Blazers to score and extend the lead to 4-1.Wisconsin cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the third. Kelsey Jenkins reached second on an E5 and stolen base, and Marissa Mersch singled to right to drive her in.
The Badgers retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth with three more runs. After loading the bases with one out, Chloe Miller walked to force in the first runner in, and then a fielder's choice at second and a wild pitch accounted for the last two runs, putting the Badgers up 5-4.
Caitlin Attfield drove in UAB's fifth and sixth runs in the fifth inning on a two-RBI double to the left field corner.
Both teams picked up a run in the sixth inning, with Ashley Johnson scoring on a wild pitch, and Jenkins driving in the Badgers' run on a groundout to short.
The Blazers' final run came in the top of the seventh, when they loaded the bases for JoJo Fallen, who hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate the run. The Badgers got a run back in the bottom of the frame, but the Blazers' double play sealed the comeback win.
The South Dakota game started with the Coyotes scoring the game's first run in the bottom of the second. Shelby Keil set the table with a full-count walk, and Yvon Minogue drove her in with a double to the deep left-center gap.
The second South Dakota run came in the fifth. Minogue drove her second double of the game into right-center, and Matley Jones plated her on a single to center to put the Coyotes up, 2-0.
The Blazers tied it up at two on a two-RBI single from Kelly Britt in the top of the sixth. Sara Beth Williamson reached first on a walk, followed by a double from Hayley Davis. Britt followed with a single back up the middle to plate both and tie it at two.
Davis gave the Blazers a lead with an RBI single in the top of the seventh, but the Coyotes rallied with a pair of RBI singles from Jones and Allie Daly to take it, 4-3.
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