The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Texas Tech
Softball Defeats Texas Tech In Tournament Opener, 7-6
2/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 27, 2004
TULSA, Okla. --- The UAB softball team rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the Texas Tech Lady Raiders, 7-6, on Friday, as the Blazers capitalized on eight hits to move to 1-0 at the 2004 Holiday Inn Select-Tulsa Festival.
"I thought that we fought very hard today and that we never gave up," said UAB head coach Marla Townsend. "We were able to get ahead for awhile, but then they would come back and get the lead. Later on, we got some key hits when we needed to get them and we executed some good squeeze plays. I thought that we had some great base-running, but we also gave up some errors that we should not have given up."
With the win, UAB (2-8) snapped its eight-game losing streak and opened up tournament play with a one-run victory for the second time this season. In the opening game of their 2004 season, the Blazers defeated Hawai'i, 4-3, at the 2004 Paradise Classic held in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
The top of the Blazer lineup keyed the win in Friday's opener as Sara Christophel went 2-for-3 and Chelsea McCall batted 2-for-4 with a run scored. Christophel, who added an RBI against the Lady Raiders, scored the game-winning run in the sixth inning.
Texas Tech (4-14) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on Friday as the Lady Raiders' Elyssa Sigala powered a three-run home run over the right field wall in the top of the first inning.
The Texas Tech rally started when Natalie Enderlin reached on an error by catcher Amanda Ellis. On the play, UAB's starting pitcher Erica Mascarenas struck out her second-consecutive batter, but Ellis drew first baseman Kris Lara off of the base with her throw after she blocked the ball in the dirt.
Kelly Rhyne, the Lady Raiders' leftfielder, then followed with a bloop single over third base and Sigala cashed in with the deep three-run shot.
"In the first inning, our pitcher (Mascarenas) did the job, but we had a few errors that ended up hurting us," Townsend said. "We gave them the opportunities and they took advantage of it."
UAB rebounded quickly in the bottom of the first inning by scoring a pair of runs on two hits.
The Blazers' McCall opened the hitting with a single up the middle and then Beth Mullins and Lara loaded the bases with a pair of walks. With the bases jammed, UAB's Ellis ripped a base hit through the left side of the infield and McCall and Mullins each scored to cut the Texas Tech lead to 3-2. McCall, the Blazers' sophomore from Gresham, Ore., leads the team along with Sara Christophel with four runs scored on the season.
Texas Tech added another run in the top of the third inning to increase its lead to 4-2. With Heather Parker at third base, the Lady Raiders' Rhyne hit a double off of the center-field wall to notch her first RBI of the game.
UAB knotted the score at 4-4 by plating two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Carrie Christophel, the Blazers' starting third baseman, kicked things off in the frame by lining a double all the way to the left-field wall. Amanda Byrne and Dusti Roberts then followed with back-to-back singles and freshman Lindsay Stanley scored after pinch running for Christophel.
The Blazers' Sara Christophel knocked in the second run of the inning as the sophomore native of Birmingham looped a single to center field. On the play, UAB's Allison Davis scored from third base after pinch running for Amanda Byrne.
Texas Tech rallied for two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning behind the hitting of Natalie Kula and Ashley Parker. Kula doubled and scored in the frame, while Parker singled, scored and notched an RBI to give the Lady Raiders a 6-4 advantage in the contest.
UAB's Davis, Roberts and Sara Christophel each scored in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Blazers' a decisive 7-6 lead. In the rally, Davis reached on an error and Roberts and Christophel got on base via fielder's choices. McCall, who batted second in the Blazers' lineup, recorded UAB's lone hit of the inning.
With Sara Christophel on third base with one out, the Blazers' Holly Krzan hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score the game-winning run.
"I saw a lot of improvements in our team this game," said Townsend. It was good to break the losing streak and it was a huge win for us, but we need to back it up and play the way that we are capable of playing from here on out. We can't be wishy-washy."
The UAB softball team will compete in its second game of the 2004 Holiday Inn Select-Tulsa Festival later this afternoon as the Blazers face off against the Drake Bulldogs at 3 p.m., here at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex.
UAB (2-8) def. Texas Tech (4-14), 7-6
TTU 301 020 0 - 6 8 4
UAB 200 203 x - 7 8 2
Top Hitters: UAB, Sara Christophel 2-3 R, RBI, Chelsea McCall 2-4 R; TTU, Kelly Rhine 2-3 R, RBI, Elyssa Sigala 1-3 HR, R, 3 RBI.
WP: Erica Mascarenas (2-5), LP: Julie Hauck (1-4)
