The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Robert Morris
UAB Softball Defeats Robert Morris, 11-0
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – The UAB softball team capped its weekend in Madeira Beach, Fla. with an 11-0 win over the Robert Morris Colonials in five innings on Sunday. With the win, the Blazers (9-5) finish the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational with a 4-1 record.
Megan Smith (5-4) was the winning pitcher for the Blazers, holding the Colonials to a hit and a walk with five strikeouts in four shutout innings. Becky Fox struck out two to blank Robert Morris in the final inning and complete the one-hit shutout. Haileigh Stocks (2-1) was charged with the loss for the Colonials.
“I’m extremely proud of the way our ladies came down here and competed every single game,” UAB head coach Marla Townsend said. “I think that we’ve made great strides from three weeks ago when we started the season. I’m proud of the pitching staff, who have really bought in and are working together to keep the opposition guessing.”
The UAB bats stayed hot on Sunday, as the Blazers received home runs from Caitlin Attfield, Heather Pearson and Sara Beth Williamson. Each of Attfield, Pearson and Amy Dennis drove in a pair of runs, with Williamson adding another RBI on her fourth home run of the season.
“The offense has really come alive and shown that we are more than 10 deep,” Townsend said. “That’s what’s exciting – we’ve had a different lineup every game and different people have risen to the occasion. The depth that we have and the players’ willingness to do what’s best for the team will be our keys to having a successful year.”
UAB’s first two runs came in the first inning, after loading the bases on an Attfield single, a Kelly Britt walk and a fielding error by Robert Morris’ third baseman, Olivia Lorusso. Attfield and Britt both scored on a passed ball and sacrifice fly, respectively, to put the Blazers up, 2-0, after one.
The Blazers’ biggest scoring inning was the third, in which they tallied up eight on RMU. The first run came in on a Dennis single through the left side, followed by runs scored on an illegal pitch and a wild pitch. The next runs came on a Dennis steal at home and two-run home runs from Attfield and Pearson to give the Blazers a 10-0 advantage after three.
UAB added one more in the fourth on Williamson’s solo home run, closing the scoring at 11-0. The Colonials were unable to mount any offense for the entirety of the game, and struck out twice in a 1-2-3 fifth to close the books on the Blazers’ ninth win of the season.
The UAB softball team will be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 24, for its home opener at UAB Softball Field against SEC foe Mississippi State. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. CT.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account, @UABathletics. For an in-depth look into the UAB softball program, follow @uabsoftball on Twitter.
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