Softball Captures Championship Title Of 2004 Magic City Classic

Saturday, March 6

BIRMINGHAM

5:00 PM

UAB

Samford

Softball Captures Championship Title Of 2004 Magic City Classic

3/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball

March 6, 2004

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The UAB softball team used a game-winning, three-run home run from tournament MVP Amanda Ellis to defeat the Samford Bulldogs, 4-3, on Saturday to secure a perfect 4-0 record en route to the championship title of the 2004 Magic City Classic.

UAB (8-9) defeated the Birmingham-Southern Panthers, 2-1, in its first of two games on Saturday before completing the four-game weekend sweep against Samford (4-16) in the nightcap.

Birmingham-Southern (7-10) earned second-place honors in the three-team tournament with a 2-2 record. Samford finished the two-day event with an 0-4 mark, but lost all four of its games by a one-run margin.

"We came into this tournament looking to gain some more momentum before heading into conference play," said UAB head coach Marla Townsend. "We really did that today and we accomplished our goal. This team has so much heart that we are literally in every game until the last out. I'm extremely proud of our team and how we played this weekend."

With its pair of victories on Saturday, UAB extended its winning streak to six-consecutive games and won its second straight tournament. Last week, the Blazers invaded Tulsa, Okla., and earned the championship title of the 2004 Holiday Inn Select-Tulsa Festival.

UAB also won its third-consecutive Magic City Classic on Saturday.

Since the tournament's inception in 2002, the Blazers have won all three championship titles and have compiled a stellar 11-1 overall record. UAB has never lost to Birmingham-Southern in Magic City Classic play and owns a lopsided 5-1 mark against Samford.

"All in all, our team battled today and they never gave up," Townsend said. "We gave up some early runs that we shouldn't have given up, but we played with a lot of heart all weekend long and that is what's going to carry us deep into the season."

In its first game of the day, UAB used another brilliant pitching performance from junior Erica Mascarenas to defeat Birmingham-Southern, 2-1.

The Panthers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the contest, but UAB retaliated with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning and then relied on its pitching and defense for the victory. The Blazers' freshman third baseman, Nicole Whitlock, recorded a crucial single to right field in UAB's run-scoring second inning.

Mascarenas, who was named to the all-tournament team of the Magic City Classic on Saturday, only allowed two hits in the game and finished with five strikeouts. With the win, the Blazers' native of Bloomfield, N.M., improved to 6-5 on the season.

"Defensively, I think that we played soundly this weekend," said Townsend. "Our pitching staff has been improving, but we're still looking for a little more consistency from them, but if we can continue to hit the ball the way that we did, then we'll be okay."

Against Samford in the final game of the tournament, UAB's Ellis snatched victory from the Bulldogs for a second straight day.

On Friday, the Blazers' senior catcher from Axis, displayed her heroics on the basepaths to beat Samford in the seventh inning, but on Saturday, UAB's sparkplug used her bat to topple the Bulldogs.

With runners on first and second and two outs, Samford was one out from earning a 3-1 victory, but Ellis blasted a deep three-run home run to left field to earn the Blazers a dramatic 4-3 win. Ellis, who was named the MVP of the 2004 Magic City Classic, finished the weekend with a .250 batting average, three RBI and two game-winning runs.

"Amanda is the epitome of what a college athlete should be," Townsend said. "She works hard and does everything that it takes to help the team win. She wants to be the one to step up to the plate when the game's on the line and she came through for us in clutch both today and yesterday. She's just an unstoppable player."

In the seventh inning, UAB's Beth Mullins started the critical two-out rally by scorching a double down the left-field line. The Blazers' next batter, Holly Krzan, then drew a walk to put Ellis, the game-winning run, at the plate.

Four Blazers were named to the all-tournament team on Saturday.

UAB's Sara Christophel earned the honor in the outfield, Mullins garnered the award in the infield and Mascarenas and Ellis received the accolades as the best battery in the three-team competition.

The UAB softball team will next be in action on Tuesday, March 9, as the Blazers open their 2004 Conference USA schedule at home against the Charlotte 49ers beginning at 5 p.m.

UAB and Charlotte are slated to play a doubleheader on Tuesday and will then compete in the series finale at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. All three games will be played at George Ward Park Field No. 6 and Tuesday's doubleheader will be recognized as "Worth Day". Admission is free to all UAB home softball games.

2004 Magic City Classic

Day Two Results

Game 1: Birmingham-Southern (7-9) def. Samford (4-15), 3-2 (9)

Game 2: UAB (7-9) def. Birmingham-Southern (7-10), 2-1

Game 3: UAB (8-9) def. Samford (4-16), 4-3

Final Tournament Standings

Champions: UAB (4-0)

Second Place: Birmigham-Southern (2-2)

Third Place: Samford (0-4)

All-Tournament Team

Pitcher: Erica Mascarenas, UAB

Catcher: Amanda Ellis, UAB