The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Saturday, February 17
Cathedral City, CA
8:00 PM
UAB
4-3
4
vs
7
Cal Poly
1-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
UAB
3
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
8
1
CAL POLY
4
1
2
0
0
0
X
7
8
1
Cal Poly Scores Early to Race Past UAB
2/18/2018 12:54:00 AM | Softball
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – UAB gave up seven runs through the first three innings and fell to Cal Poly 7-4 Saturday night at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.
UAB (1-6) struck early in the top of the first inning with a three-run home run off the bat of Madison Millsaps. That was all the Blazers would score until the seventh inning.
Cal Poly (4-3) answered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the first. The Mustangs used a single and a walk to put runners on base who then advanced to second and third on a ball in the dirt. A single through the right side scored both runners and cut the UAB down to one.
Starting pitcher Claire Blount got a fly ball out to center but a single down the left field line put two runners again. A strike out for the second out of the inning looked to have the Blazers on the verge of getting out of the inning but Blount hit the next batter to load the bases.
A single from Sydney James up the middle of the infield scored two and Cal Poly took a 4-3 lead going into the second.
A leadoff triple for Cal Poly set them up to score in the bottom of the second. However, Blount came back to strikeout the next hitter but a sac fly to right field pushed across the run from third as the Mustangs increased the lead to two runs.
The offense didn't slow down in the third as the Mustangs used a leadoff double an error and a walk to load the bases with no one out. Emily Kachel came in to pitch in relief of Blount and got the first hitter to hit into a fielder's choice as Natalie Erwin threw home to get the out and keep the run from scoring.
With the bases still loaded, Kachel grabbed a come backer and fired to first for the second out but the throw back to home was late and Cal Poly scored. An infield single pushed across the second run of the inning for the Mustangs as they took a 7-3 lead.
UAB got things going in the fifth as Erwin drew a leadoff walk and Destini England singled. Analyse Petree was hit by a pitch to load the bases and with two outs Millsaps stepped to the plate. Unfortunately, after a long plate batter, Millsaps hit into a ground out and the Blazers couldn't left the bases full.
Kachel shut down the Cal Poly offense in the fifth and sixth innings getting the Mustangs three up three down in the fifth and only allowed a single in the sixth.
Having subbed in for Katelyn Prater in left field earlier in the game, Sarah Crawford hit a single to right with one out in the seventh and was pinch ran for by Prater. Petree reached base in the next at-bat on a fielding error by the first baseman which let Prater advance to third.
After a strikeout, Millsaps smacked a RBI double to left which scored Prater from third, Petree tried to score from first but was thrown out at home to end the game
Blount took the loss and falls to 0-2 on the year. She tossed two innings giving up seven runs on six hits, just three of those runs were earned. Blount also walked three and struck out two. Kachel threw four innings in relief allowing just two hits. She struck out just one batter.
Millsaps had the best day at the plate for UAB as she went 3-for-4 with four RBI, a three-run homer and a RBI double. Millsaps also scored a run.
Next UP
UAB will take on Weber State tomorrow at 7 p.m. followed up by a game against UCLA at 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 in day two of the Mary Nutter Classic.
UAB (1-6) struck early in the top of the first inning with a three-run home run off the bat of Madison Millsaps. That was all the Blazers would score until the seventh inning.
Cal Poly (4-3) answered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the first. The Mustangs used a single and a walk to put runners on base who then advanced to second and third on a ball in the dirt. A single through the right side scored both runners and cut the UAB down to one.
Starting pitcher Claire Blount got a fly ball out to center but a single down the left field line put two runners again. A strike out for the second out of the inning looked to have the Blazers on the verge of getting out of the inning but Blount hit the next batter to load the bases.
A single from Sydney James up the middle of the infield scored two and Cal Poly took a 4-3 lead going into the second.
A leadoff triple for Cal Poly set them up to score in the bottom of the second. However, Blount came back to strikeout the next hitter but a sac fly to right field pushed across the run from third as the Mustangs increased the lead to two runs.
The offense didn't slow down in the third as the Mustangs used a leadoff double an error and a walk to load the bases with no one out. Emily Kachel came in to pitch in relief of Blount and got the first hitter to hit into a fielder's choice as Natalie Erwin threw home to get the out and keep the run from scoring.
With the bases still loaded, Kachel grabbed a come backer and fired to first for the second out but the throw back to home was late and Cal Poly scored. An infield single pushed across the second run of the inning for the Mustangs as they took a 7-3 lead.
UAB got things going in the fifth as Erwin drew a leadoff walk and Destini England singled. Analyse Petree was hit by a pitch to load the bases and with two outs Millsaps stepped to the plate. Unfortunately, after a long plate batter, Millsaps hit into a ground out and the Blazers couldn't left the bases full.
Kachel shut down the Cal Poly offense in the fifth and sixth innings getting the Mustangs three up three down in the fifth and only allowed a single in the sixth.
Having subbed in for Katelyn Prater in left field earlier in the game, Sarah Crawford hit a single to right with one out in the seventh and was pinch ran for by Prater. Petree reached base in the next at-bat on a fielding error by the first baseman which let Prater advance to third.
After a strikeout, Millsaps smacked a RBI double to left which scored Prater from third, Petree tried to score from first but was thrown out at home to end the game
Blount took the loss and falls to 0-2 on the year. She tossed two innings giving up seven runs on six hits, just three of those runs were earned. Blount also walked three and struck out two. Kachel threw four innings in relief allowing just two hits. She struck out just one batter.
Millsaps had the best day at the plate for UAB as she went 3-for-4 with four RBI, a three-run homer and a RBI double. Millsaps also scored a run.
Next UP
UAB will take on Weber State tomorrow at 7 p.m. followed up by a game against UCLA at 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 in day two of the Mary Nutter Classic.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Chalmers, Lindsey (2-1)
L: Blount, Claire (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Millsaps, Madison 1
HR: Millsaps, Madison 1
RBI: Millsaps, Madison 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Prater, Katelyn 1 ; Petree, Analyse 1 ; Smith, Megan 1 ; Millsaps, Madison 1
CS: England, Destini 1
HBP: Petree, Analyse 2 ; Blount, Claire 1
Batting:
2B: Yakir, Noa 1
3B: Convissar, Chelsea 1
RBI: Convissar, Chelsea 1 ; Ramos, Noellah 1 ; Heyward, Stephanie 2 ; James, Sydney 2
SF: Heyward, Stephanie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Convissar, Chelsea 2 ; Ramos, Noellah 1 ; Heyward, Stephanie 1 ; Kaiser, Crimson 1 ; Nordin, Megan 1 ; James, Sydney 1
CS: Ramos, Noellah 1
HBP: Nordin, Megan 1
Game Leaders
rf/ph
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
4
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
ph/lf
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball1B/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
UTL
/ SoftballUAB Football Postgame Press Conference | Army
Saturday, October 04
Coffee with Coach | 2025 Week 6
Tuesday, September 30
Coffee with Coach | 2025 Week 8
Monday, September 29
Coffee with Coach | 2025 Week 7
Monday, September 29
