The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Oregon State
UAB Falls to Oregon State in Season Opener
2/9/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HONOLULU, Hawaii – The UAB softball team dropped the season opener 4-0 against Oregon State at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on Thursday.
Oregon State (1-0, 0-0) racked up seven hits on the day and scored four runs to clinch the win over the Blazers.
The Beavers spread out their runs throughout the entire game. Shelby Weeks singled to third base and quickly stole second and third to put herself into scoring position in the first inning. Natalie Hampton hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Weeks and give Oregon State the 1-0 lead.
Oregon State drove in two more runs in the second. Sammi Noland singled to third and scored Lovey Lopez to score the first run of the inning and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch scored Riley Gregoire for the 3-0 lead.
The final Oregon State run came in the fifth inning when Jessica Garcia scored on a throwing error by the Blazers.
Hits were hard to come by for UAB (0-1, 0-0) with only three in the game. Analyse Petree got the first hit for the Blazers when she blistered a ball to right field for a single in the third inning.
Joanna Fallen contributed with a single of her own in the sixth inning with a hard-hit ball to center field.
Molli Garcia hammered a ball off the left field wall for a standup double to get things started for the Blazers in the top of the seventh. A Claire Blount and Amy Waters walk loaded the bases for UAB with two outs but the Blazers couldn’t push any runs across in the final inning.
Blount (0-1) suffered the loss for the Blazers giving up four runs on seven hits. She pitched five innings and recorded four strikeouts in her first collegiate start.
Nerissa Eason (1-0) pitched a complete game and got the win in the circle for the Beavers, giving up three hits and didn’t let a run cross the plate.
UAB will be back in action Friday to play Sacramento State and Boise State at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively.
For more information on UAB Athletics, visit UABsports.com. Fans can find UAB softball on Twitter and Instagram at @UAB_SB.
