The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
12-10
Southern Illinois
16-2
UAB Softball Finishes Blazer Classic With Two Wins
3/13/2021 11:50:00 PM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB softball team finished off the Blazer Classic with a 2-0 day on Saturday, recording a 1-0 extra innings victory over Southern Illinois and a 12-6 win over Ball State at Mary Bowers Field.
Faith Hegh had the hottest bat for the Blazers, going 5-of-7 from the plate, including two doubles, with four RBIs and scoring one run combined in the two games.
Sierra Frazier, who had the walk-off game-winning hit against the Salukis, finished the day with three runs, three hits and an RBI.
In the circle, Sarah Cespedes (2-0) and Emily Kachel (2-2) each earned victories and Amy Woodham earned her second straight save.
The Blazers (13-10) finished the Blazer Classic 4-1
GAME 1: UAB 1, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 0
The matchup between the Blazers and the Salukis (16-2) was a pitching battle from the first pitch., with neither team able to plate any runs for eight and a half innings.
Cespedes started in the circle for UAB, going 4.1 innings and allowing just one hit and striking out four batters.
Woodham entered the game in the fifth inning in relief.
After seven scoreless innings, the teams went into extra innings with the international tie breaker in action. Under the rule, each team starts with a runner on second to open the inning.
Woodham went 1-2-3 to open the eighth, striking out two Southern Illinois batters.
In the bottom of the eight, despite advancing Jenna Olszewski on third base, the Blazers were unable to plate any runs.
Woodham worked another clean inning in the top of the ninth, before UAB took over on offense again.
With Lilly Crowe placed on second base to open the inning, Makalah Mitchell singled to lead off, while a Brooke Davis groundout advanced both Crowe and Mitchell.
A Frazier RBI single to left field scored Crowe and ending the game, giving the Blazers the 1-0 win.
GAME 2: UAB 12, BALL STATE 6
UAB and Ball State had an offensive battle in the final game on Saturday.
The Blazers got the bats going early on, with a Taylor Watford RBI double scoring KK Crocker and Frazier to put UAB up 2-0 in the first.
The Cardinals were able to take the lead in the third, plating three runs and going up 4-2.
In the bottom of the third, UAB took control of the game, plating five runs and going up 8-4, before a Faith Hegh RBI double in the next inning put the Blazers up 10-4 after four.
Ball State cut into the lead in back-to-back innings, scoring one run in the fifth and one run in the sixth, making the score 10-6 after the top of the sixth.
UAB tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth, with the final score 12-6.
Kachel earned the win in the circle, pitching 2.1 innings with one hit, one run and three strikeouts.
The Blazers will be back at Mary Bowers Field on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. for a showdown with No. 4 Alabama.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Woodham, Amy (2-5)
L: Harness (7-1)
Batting:
2B: Huckleberry 1
SH: Caylor 1
Base Running:
CS: DePron 1
Batting:
RBI: Frazier, Sierra 1
SH: Davis, Brooke 1 ; Frazier, Sadie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Crowe, Lilly 1
