The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Southern Miss
UAB Softball Splits Conference Doubleheader at Southern Miss
3/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game One Box Score (PDF) | Game Two Box Score (PDF)
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After falling to Southern Miss, 6-3, in the conference opener, the UAB softball team topped the Golden Eagles, 7-1, in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
UAB (9-17, 1-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead through two innings, but Southern Miss (15-15, 2-3) plated six runs in the third inning and fended off a Blazer comeback to open the series with a 6-3 victory.
Behind a complete game performance from sophomore Megan Smith and three double plays from the Blazer defense, UAB downed Southern Miss, 7-1, to even the series at 1-1.
“Megan Smith pitched an excellent game,” head coach Marla Townsend said. “I’m really proud of her. Our defense got behind her and rolled three double plays. We had some nice web gems today. From top to bottom, everyone was hitting. That was the game we needed to get our confidence back. We set ourselves up to come out here tomorrow and do what we came here for, and that’s to win the series.”
After going hitless in game one, junior JoJo Fallen was a home run away from the cycle in Saturday’s second game. Fallen finished 3-for-7 with two RBIs. Senior Caitlin Attfield went 4-for-8 in Saturday’s doubleheader with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Game One (6-3)
After trading a scoreless first inning, senior Kelly Britt reached on a fielding error by first baseman Tori Dew to lead off the second inning. Junior Mary Warren knocked her first double of the season, scoring Britt from first to give UAB a 1-0 lead.
Southern Miss notched its first hits of the game with two singles to put Golden Eagles on the corners with two outs. Dew drove a double to right center to clear the bases, allowing Southern Miss to take a 2-1 lead.
Katie Cleary launched a two-out home run to right field, extending the Southern Miss lead to 4-1. After a walk and fielding error on the Blazers, Southern Miss scored two unearned runs after a single up the middle for Sarah Evans to push its lead to 6-1.
Senior Sara Beth Williamson sliced the Southern Miss lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth after driving a two-run home run, her third of the season, to right field to score Attfield; but the Blazer comeback fell short.
Junior Cara Goodwin (6-4) was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs off five hits. The junior issued two walks, while striking out two. Freshman Tori Perkins pitched three innings of shutout relief and allowed just two hits and four walks, and struck out two Golden Eagles.
Game Two (7-1)
The Blazers jumped out early as Attfield led off with a single up the middle. Britt perfectly placed her sixth sacrifice bunt of the season to move Attfield into scoring position.
After an infield single to third put runners on the corners, Fallen knocked a two-out single up the middle to score Attfield and put the Blazers up 1-0 through the first.
Junior Danii Fernandez knocked a single through the left side in the top of the second and came around to score on Attfield’s triple to left center, her second of the season, extending the UAB lead to 2-0.
Southern Miss and UAB exchanged scoreless third and fourth innings before sophomore Madison Millsaps drew a one-out walk. Fallen followed with her first triple of the season to score pinch runner freshman Hannah Lee.
UAB extended its lead to 4-0 as freshman Lizzie Ryan picked up her first collegiate RBI with a bunt single to the pitcher to score Fallen.
Freshman Analyse Petree and senior Ashley Johnson knocked back-to-back singles to load the bases before Fernandez singled up the middle to score Ryan. Attfield drew a bases-loaded hit by pitch to push the lead to 6-0.
Britt capped the five-run fifth inning with a sacrifice hit to put the Blazers on top, 7-0.
Southern Miss scored its lone run of the game on a bases-loaded, two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh to break up the UAB shutout, 7-1.
Smith pitched the complete game to notch her first victory of the season. The Pisgah, Alabama, native allowed one unearned run on six hits and four walks while striking out two.
First pitch of Sunday’s series finale is set for 1 p.m. CT.
For more information on the UAB softball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UABSoftball). For more on all Blazer sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
