The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
10-19-1, 3-2-1
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University of Texas at El Paso
11-18, 1-5
UAB Falls to UTEP in Series Finale Shootout
3/18/2018 8:26:00 PM | Softball
The action started immediately as the Miners took an early 2-0 lead after one thanks to a two-run home run to straight away center field. The Blazers answered right back with three runs in the top half of the second.
Megan Smith drew a lead off walk and advanced to second on a passed ball before Sarah Crawford doubled up the middle to score Smith. Natalie Erwin put UAB on top with a one-out two-run home run that she smashed to the opposite field in right as the Blazers took a 3-2 lead.
UTEP (11-18, 1-5 C-USA) tacked on eight more runs over the second and third innings and took a 9-3 lead. The Miners add two runs in the second and five in the third.
The Blazers wouldn't go quietly. Down to their final out in the top of the fourth inning, Destini England stole second base and Katelyn Prater drew a walk to put two runners on. Analyse Petree laced a single to left and loaded the bases for Rachel Rogers who drove home England with a single to left.
Smith drew a bases loaded walk and Crawford hit a two-RBI single to plate three more runs for UAB. Molli Garcia smacked a double and sent Smith racing across the plate and moved Crawford to third. Erwin got hit by a pitch to load the bases and Katlyn Sides drew a walk to push Crawford home.
England came up for the second time in the inning and hit a single deep in the hole at second to drive home two more runs. A ground out finally ended the inning but the Blazers had scored eight times on five hits and held the lead 11-9.
In the bottom of the fourth UTEP piled on three runs to once again reclaim the lead 12-11. UAB was able to put runners on base in the fifth but was unable to move them around and was held scoreless.
The Miners offense went to work in the bottom of the fifth padding its lead with four runs on two hits and led 16-11.
UAB (10-19-1, 3-2-1) continued to fight as Prater drew a walk and Petree hit a double to put runners in scoring position for Rogers. She smacked a double to the gap in left center scoring both Prater and Petree and cut the Miners lead down to three runs.
However, UTEP made a pitching change and the next three batters went down with a fly out and back-to-back ground outs to end the game as UAB fell 16-13.
Emily Kachel got the start in the circle and threw just two innings allowing eight runs on seven hits. Claire Blount tossed 2.2 innings also allowing eight runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out four. Blount took the loss and is now 0-10 on the year.
Bailie Barnes threw the final inning and one third on Sunday and did not allow a hit.
England continued her hot hitting weekend going 2-for-4 on the day, driving in two runs and scored once herself. The Hoover, Ala. native tallied nine hits, eight RBI and scored four runs scored this weekend.
Crawford had herself a day as she also went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Rogers played well picking up two hits, three RBI and a run scored as she also drew two walks in the series finale.
Up Next
The Blazers have a quick turnaround as they travel down the road to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday, March 20 to face off with No. 12 Alabama for the second time this season. Alabama won the first game in Birmingham on Feb. 26, 4-0.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Johnson, A (1-0)
L: Blount, Claire (0-10)
S: Wright, J (3)
Batting:
2B: Petree, Analyse 1 ; Rogers, Rachel 1 ; Crawford, Sarah 1 ; Garcia, Molli 1
HR: Erwin, Natalie 1
RBI: England, Destini 2 ; Rogers, Rachel 3 ; Smith, Megan 1 ; Crawford, Sarah 3 ; Garcia, Molli 1 ; Erwin, Natalie 2 ; Sides, Katlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: England, Destini 1 ; Prater, Katelyn 2 ; Petree, Analyse 2 ; Rogers, Rachel 1 ; Smith, Megan 2 ; Crawford, Sarah 2 ; Garcia, Molli 1 ; Erwin, Natalie 2
SB: England, Destini 1
CS: England, Destini 1
HBP: Erwin, Natalie 1
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Batting:
2B: Valles, A 1 ; Ryder, K 1 ; Garcia, L 1 ; Ellis, M 1
HR: Duffield, K 1 ; Garcia, L 1
RBI: Clayton, C 1 ; Valles, A 2 ; Duffield, K 2 ; Garcia, L 3 ; Ellis, M 3
SF: Valles, A 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Clayton, C 1 ; Valles, A 1 ; Duffield, K 2 ; Smith, C 1 ; Sargent, T 3 ; Ryder, K 4 ; Garcia, L 1 ; Hill, B 1 ; Santos, I 1 ; Baber, P 1
SB: Clayton, C 1 ; Santos, I 1 ; Blair, A 1
HBP: Duffield, K 1
