The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Friday, March 30
Birmingham / Mary Bowers Field
3:00 PM
UAB
3
vs
2
Middle Tennessee
UAB Wins Two and Wins Its Second Conference USA Series
3/30/2018 10:22:00 PM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – It was a good, Good Friday for UAB softball as it won both games of its Conference USA doubleheader against Middle Tennessee, winning game two 1-0 in walk-off fashion Friday at Mary Bowers Field.
Molli Garcia, with one out in the bottom of the eighth and the bases loaded, took the first pitch she saw and drove it over the center fielder's head for the game-winning walk-off single and clinched UAB's second straight Conference USA series win.
UAB (13-21-1, 5-2-1 C-USA) had the heat turned up on them in the top of the eighth as Middle Tennessee's first two batters of the inning reached safely on an error and a single down the right field line. A wild pitch moved them to second and third with nobody out.
Starting pitcher Claire Blount never flinched.
Blount got the first out herself by quickly scooping up a ball hit back though the middle, looking back the runner at third and firing over to first for the out. It was then the defenses turn to pick up their pitcher and third baseman Ashton Clem did just that.
The next batter hit a rocket to third that Clem snagged on the run for the second out before she made a diving grab for the third out of the eighth.
The Blazers loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with a single from Natalie Erwin, Rachel Rogers reached on an error and Analyse Petree hit a single to left. Erwin scored from third on Garcia's walk-off single.
Blount (2-10) got the complete-game shutout win and pitched a gem. She allowed just four hits while striking out five Blue Raiders. The lefty didn't walk a single batter. Blount pitched eight innings and threw just 94 pitches.
Petree and Erwin picked up two hits each while Rogers, Garcia, Blount and Katelyn Prater all had one hit.
Before all of the excitement of game two, UAB won game one against Middle Tennessee 3-2.
Middle Tennessee (23-12, 5-6) scored quickly in the first inning but UAB responded in the bottom half of the first as Erwin hit a double to center and was moved around to third by Sarah Crawford. Petree reached on an error in the next at-bat that allowed Erwin to cross the plate and tie the game at 1-1.
The Blazers added two runs in the third as Destini England reached on a single and Erwin drew a walk to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Rogers hit a single to right field that drove home England from second and moved Erwin to third.
Crawford drove in Erwin with a single of her own and UAB took a 3-1 lead.
The score stayed that way until the top of the seventh when Middle Tennessee hit a lead off home run to right to draw to within one run. Emily Kachel got the start in the circle for the Blazers and relied on the defense to help her get the final three outs.
In the next at-bat following the homer, Erwin climb the latter to snag a line drive out at short. A single then put a runner on first with one out but Kachel grabbed a come backer and threw to second to get the lead runner for the second out of the inning. Middle Tennessee was down to its final out as Erwin fielded the ball and flipped it to Petree who stepped on the second base bag for the third and final out of the game.
Kachel (9-9) pitched her fifth complete game of the season in the win and allowed just two runs on eight hits. The right-handed freshman walked one batter and recorded seven strikeouts.
England and Crawford each had two hits in game one as Erwin, Rogers and Clem picked up the Blazers other seven hits.
Up Next
UAB will wrap up its series with Middle Tennessee on Saturday, March 31 at Mary Bowers Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.
Molli Garcia, with one out in the bottom of the eighth and the bases loaded, took the first pitch she saw and drove it over the center fielder's head for the game-winning walk-off single and clinched UAB's second straight Conference USA series win.
UAB (13-21-1, 5-2-1 C-USA) had the heat turned up on them in the top of the eighth as Middle Tennessee's first two batters of the inning reached safely on an error and a single down the right field line. A wild pitch moved them to second and third with nobody out.
Starting pitcher Claire Blount never flinched.
Blount got the first out herself by quickly scooping up a ball hit back though the middle, looking back the runner at third and firing over to first for the out. It was then the defenses turn to pick up their pitcher and third baseman Ashton Clem did just that.
The next batter hit a rocket to third that Clem snagged on the run for the second out before she made a diving grab for the third out of the eighth.
The Blazers loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with a single from Natalie Erwin, Rachel Rogers reached on an error and Analyse Petree hit a single to left. Erwin scored from third on Garcia's walk-off single.
Blount (2-10) got the complete-game shutout win and pitched a gem. She allowed just four hits while striking out five Blue Raiders. The lefty didn't walk a single batter. Blount pitched eight innings and threw just 94 pitches.
Petree and Erwin picked up two hits each while Rogers, Garcia, Blount and Katelyn Prater all had one hit.
Before all of the excitement of game two, UAB won game one against Middle Tennessee 3-2.
Middle Tennessee (23-12, 5-6) scored quickly in the first inning but UAB responded in the bottom half of the first as Erwin hit a double to center and was moved around to third by Sarah Crawford. Petree reached on an error in the next at-bat that allowed Erwin to cross the plate and tie the game at 1-1.
The Blazers added two runs in the third as Destini England reached on a single and Erwin drew a walk to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Rogers hit a single to right field that drove home England from second and moved Erwin to third.
Crawford drove in Erwin with a single of her own and UAB took a 3-1 lead.
The score stayed that way until the top of the seventh when Middle Tennessee hit a lead off home run to right to draw to within one run. Emily Kachel got the start in the circle for the Blazers and relied on the defense to help her get the final three outs.
In the next at-bat following the homer, Erwin climb the latter to snag a line drive out at short. A single then put a runner on first with one out but Kachel grabbed a come backer and threw to second to get the lead runner for the second out of the inning. Middle Tennessee was down to its final out as Erwin fielded the ball and flipped it to Petree who stepped on the second base bag for the third and final out of the game.
Kachel (9-9) pitched her fifth complete game of the season in the win and allowed just two runs on eight hits. The right-handed freshman walked one batter and recorded seven strikeouts.
England and Crawford each had two hits in game one as Erwin, Rogers and Clem picked up the Blazers other seven hits.
Up Next
UAB will wrap up its series with Middle Tennessee on Saturday, March 31 at Mary Bowers Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
IF
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