UAB Tops Crosstown Rival Samford, 6-2

Tuesday, April 30

Birmingham, Ala.

6 P.M.

UAB

16-30

Samford

21-27

UAB

Samford

UAB Tops Crosstown Rival Samford, 6-2

4/30/2019 10:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM – The UAB softball team (16-30, 5-15 C-USA) clinched citywide bragging rights on Tuesday by taking down Samford (21-27, 10-4 SoCon), 6-2, at the Samford Softball Stadium on the front end of a five-game road swing. The Blazers got off to a hot start with a couple of runs in the top of the first and kept their distance throughout the rest of the game, gradually building their lead and answering each move by the Bulldogs.

Junior infielder Dylinn Stancil led the way for UAB at the plate, going 2-for-4 in the game with two RBI, one run scored and one moon shot. Sophomore Bailie Barnes earned the start in the circle and picked up the win, going four innings and giving up one run on three hits with two strikeouts to move to 2-2 on the season. Sophomore Emily Kachel closed out the game, going the final three innings and giving up one run on two hits with two strikeouts for her first save of the season.

The Blazers wasted no time getting going in the top of the first, scoring a pair to take the early lead. Junior infielder Ashton Clem and freshman outfielder Faith Hegh picked up back-to-back singles with just one down, setting up Stancil for an RBI single that ended up driving in both Clem and Hegh after a Bulldog mishandled the ball. Samford got out of the inning soon after, but Barnes picked up her first pair of strikeouts early, with one batter reaching base after the ball went to the backstop, and forced a couple of putouts to end the inning.

UAB didn't carry its momentum into the second inning as a drawn walk by freshman infielder Sadie Frazier was the only action in the top of the frame. Samford was also shut down, picking up a single, but going down on a pop up and a 5-4-3 double play. The third inning was much of the same for both sides as the Blazers went down in order, and the Bulldogs only picked up one hit before being retired.

The fourth inning started off with a bang as Stancil smoked a solo shot well over left-center field to give the Blazers a 3-0 lead. Sophomore catcher Sarah Crawford singled to follow, but UAB was unable to push her home. Down three, Samford battled back in the bottom of the inning and took back one of its own. After starting off with a pair of walks and a sacrifice bunt to put runners on the corners, the Bulldogs were aggressive on the base path and stole home to draw a run closer. Samford would also single later, but an athletic play by Clem to haul in a liner that was headed for center field kept the Bulldogs at bay.

In the top of the fifth, UAB answered right back as junior infielder slugged another solo blast out of left field for the Blazers' second straight homerun to lead off an inning. Erwin's bomb moved her to five on the season, which ties with freshman infielder Sierra Frazier for the most dingers on the squad. Clem was next hit by a pitch and Hegh singled to follow, but neither runner was driven home. Kachel replaced Barnes to open the bottom of the fifth and took care of business, picking up a strikeout and forcing a pair of putouts.

The sixth inning was mostly uneventful as a Samford single was the only hit in the inning, but both sides made noise in the seventh with UAB adding a pair of insurance runs first. Sadie Frazier and Erwin both walked, and the runners advanced a bag on a ground ball. That set up a two-RBI single from Sierra Frazier that scored Erwin and freshman outfielder Reece Martin, who was pinch running for Sadie Frazier, to move ahead, 6-1.

After giving up two more scores, Samford was down to its final three outs needing five runs to extend the game. The Blazers picked up a couple of quick outs, but the Bulldogs kept their hopes alive with a solo shot over left field of their own. That would be as close as Samford would get as Kachel struck out the following batter looking.

UAB will next head back to Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Thursday to battle Middle Tennessee at 6 p.m. at the Blue Raider Softball Field in a rubber match that was scheduled for April 7, but had to be postponed due to inclement weather. Live stats will be provided for the game through SIDEARM.

For more information on the UAB softball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter and Instagram (@UAB_SB).