The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Softball Set for Home Opener Against Mississippi State
2/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
UAB Blazers (9-5) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (13-1)
Tuesday, Feb. 24 | 6 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. | UAB Softball Field
Coverage: Twitter | Live Video | Live Stats
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB softball team will open its 2015 home slate on Tuesday when the Blazers host the Mississippi State Bulldogs for a midweek tilt at 6 p.m. CT from UAB Softball Field.
This is the first of 16 home games for the Blazers this season, following the postponement of last Tuesday's game against Alabama due to weather. UAB (9-5) is fresh off a trip to Madeira Beach, Fla., where the Blazers posted a 4-1 record at the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational.
Mississippi State (13-1) enters the Tuesday matchup with wins in nine of its last 10 games, including a sweep this weekend against Penn State in Starkville, Miss. The Bulldogs' lone loss this season was a 4-3 result against Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 15.
Live stats and live video for Tuesday's matchup will be available at UABSports.com.
Blazers Go 4-1 at EMU Madeira Beach Invitational
Three weeks into the season, the UAB softball team put together its best weekend to date with a 4-1 mark at the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational. UAB went 1-1 on day one, defeating Villanova, 7-2, and falling to Texas State, 7-1. The Blazers posted three more wins the rest of the way, notching a 5-2 victory over Wichita State, a 12-6 win over Harvard and an 11-0 win over Robert Morris in five innings.
In the victory over Harvard, the UAB softball team slugged a team total of five home runs, one shy of the school single-game record. The Blazer home runs were provided by Kelly Britt, Rachel Dunsford, Ashley Johnson, Heather Pearson and Sara Beth Williamson. UAB has recorded a team total of six home runs in a single game twice in program history, most recently on March 18, 2014, when the Blazers went deep six times against Jacksonville State.
The Blazers went deep three more times in a five-inning, 11-0 rout of Robert Morris on Sunday. The UAB pitching staff combined for a one-hit shutout, with Megan Smith blanking the Colonials over the first four innings, and Becky Fox closing the game out with a scoreless fifth.
Blazers Among Conference Leaders
After a hot weekend at the plate for the UAB softball team, four position players find themselves among the offensive leaders in Conference USA. Junior shortstop Caitlin Attfield checks into four different categories, ranking seventh in batting average (.490), second in hits (24), sixth in doubles (4) and 10th in total bases (31).
Junior first baseman Sara Beth Williamson is also ranked in multiple categories, coming in at seventh in home runs (4) and slugging percentage (.833). Junior catcher Ashley Johnson ranks ninth in walks (9), while sophomore designated player Mary Warren ranks second in times hit by pitch (5).
Freshman right-hander Megan Smith ranks within the top five in four pitching categories, placing fourth in innings pitched (41.2), fourth in wins (5), fifth in strikeouts (37) and fifth in strikeouts looking (9). Sophomore righty Cara Goodwin rounds out UAB pitchers among conference leaders, ranking 10th in strikeouts (24).
Scouting the Competition
UAB will be meeting Mississippi State for the 19th time on the softball diamond, with the Bulldogs holding a 14-4 series edge over the Blazers. UAB has won three of its last five matchups with Mississippi State, including last year's meeting on March 4, when the Blazers posted a 5-3 victory over the Bulldogs at Starkville.
Mississippi State is receiving votes in both major rankings as of Monday, with the Bulldogs receiving 15 in each of the USA Today/NFCA Coaches and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls.
The Bulldogs have the third highest batting average in the Southeastern Conference (.372), with nine lineup regulars batting .300 or higher. Katie Anne Bailey is hitting at a .535 clip with six doubles, three triples and 14 RBI, while Caroline Seitz is batting .300 with six home runs, three doubles and 19 RBI.
The Bulldogs have used four pitchers this season, but have leaned heavily on the tandem of Alexis Silkwood and Holly Ward, who have each made seven starts. Silkwood is 9-0 with a 2.10 ERA and 66 strikeouts, while Ward is 4-1 with a 3.78 ERA and 19 strikeouts.
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.
