UAB Finishes Season with Heartbreaking Split in Conference Tournament

Friday, May 11

Charlotte, N.C.

1:30 PM

UAB

34-23

Louisiana Tech

26-31-1

Louisiana Tech

UAB

UAB Finishes Season with Heartbreaking Split in Conference Tournament

5/11/2018 10:24:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score Box Score

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The UAB softball team played back-to-back elimination games on Friday at Daughtridge Stadium, winning the first 4-3 over Louisiana Tech before dropping the second to the C-USA regular season champions Florida Atlantic, 5-1.

UAB (26-31-1) had to rally against Louisiana Tech, who took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The Blazers responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Rachel Rogers got the inning started with a leadoff home run, her seventh of the season. Claire Blount then roped a double that scored Makayla Hayes from first to tie the game up at 2-2. With two away in the fourth, Destini England and Natalie Erwin came up clutch, getting back-to-back hits to drive in two more runs and giving the Blazers a 4-2 lead going into the fifth inning.

Emily Kachel (14-15) threw a gem for UAB and pitched out of trouble on several occasions. The freshman gave up a run to the Lady Techsters in the fifth to cut the lead down to 4-3, but she held firm and shut them down the rest of the way.

Kachel pitched a complete-game, allowing three runs on seven hits. She walked only three batters, while registering six strikeouts.

Louisiana Tech had two out in the top of the seventh and a runner on third when Kachel fanned the last batter to end the game and send the Lady Techsters home, advancing UAB into the semi-finals of the Conference USA Tournament with a 4-3 win.

In the second elimination game of the day, UAB squared off with the Conference USA regular season champions in Florida Atlantic.

Kachel got the start again and surrendered two solo home runs in the second and third innings as the Owls snagged an early 2-0 lead. They extended the lead in the fourth with three more runs.

Florida Atlantic (30-25) led 5-0 in the sixth when Erwin led off with a solo home run, her ninth of the year, to cut the lead to four. UAB put another runner in scoring position but were unable to sustain the rally.

FAU worked a fast seventh inning and ended the Blazer's season, one game shy of the conference championship game.

UAB will return 10 players while welcoming eight newcomers next season. Five of the 10 returners are starters, plus the Blazers return three of four pitchers.