The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
FIU
UAB Softball Splits Friday Doubleheader at FIU
4/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Final Stats: Game One | Game Two
Box Scores: Game One (PDF) | Game Two (PDF)
MIAMI -- The UAB softball team split its doubleheader with the FIU Panthers Friday night at FIU Softball Stadium. The Blazers took the first game 10-2 in five innings, but dropped the series with a 4-3 walk-off loss in the rubber match.
Megan Smith (11-5) was the winning pitcher in game one of the doubleheader after holding the Panthers to a pair of runs on four hits and three walks in a 4.1-inning start. Cara Goodwin (10-2) was charged with the loss in game two of the doubleheader after allowing two runs over the final 1.1 innings.
Becky Fox made her first career start in Friday's rubber match, but did not factor into the decision in either game she appeared in despite limiting the Panthers to one run in a combined 2.2 innings pitched. Madison Hir accounted for the remaining three innings pitched in the series finale, and allowed FIU only one run.
Heather Pearson paced the Blazers offensively for the doubleheader with seven RBI on a grand slam and a three-run double. Kelly Britt finished the day 4-for-7 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI, while Ashley Johnson and Caitlin Attfield each finished Friday's doubleheader 3-for-6 with a pair of runs scored.
Game One Recap
For the second straight game, UAB put a run on the board in the top of the first. JoJo Fallen walked and Sara Beth Williamson doubled to set up runners on second and third for Britt, who plated the lead runner with a single through the left side to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
With two outs in the third, UAB rallied for three hits and walk to tally a three-run inning. Britt and Johnson singled, while Amy Dennis drew a walk to load the bases. Pearson brought each runner home with a double off the wall to straightaway center, extending the UAB lead to 4-0.
UAB broke the game open in the top of the fourth, tallying six runs in the frame. The first run of the inning came on a Fallen solo shot over the left field wall. After the Blazers loaded the bags again, a Johnson fielder's choice brought home the lead runner, before Pearson cleared the bases again on a grand slam to give UAB a 10-0 advantage.
FIU rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, sparked by a bases-loaded situation with none out after a pair of leadoff singles and a walk. The first run came home after a walk forced a run in, while the second came on an RBI groundout. After the pair of runs scored, the Blazers turned the ball over to Fox, who retired the final two batters to seal the 10-2 win.
Game Two Recap
FIU scored a run in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead in the rubber match of the series. Gabby Spallone set the table with a walk, and scored from first on a Krystal Garcia double that trickled all the way to the wall in the right-center gap.
The Blazers knotted the game back up at one apiece in the third inning. With runners aboard first and second, Hayley Davis drove an RBI single up the middle, scoring the lead runner from second and setting the score even at 1-1.
FIU broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth on a Krystal Garcia solo home run to left, but Davis tied the game up for the second time with an RBI single to left in the top of the fifth.
UAB took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh, as Attfield walked, stole second and came around to score on the steal on a pair of FIU errors.
After a single and a double from FIU set runners up on second and third, a chopper over Goodwin was snared by the UAB defense. However, there was no play to be had and the runner scored from third to tie the game. FIU's Ashley Leon followed with a walk to load the bases, and the Panthers' Stephanie Texeira singled into center to drive home the game-winning run, as FIU walked off in a 4-3 win.
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