The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Western Kentucky
Pitching Helps Blazers Sweep Doubleheader From Hilltoppers
4/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Blazers improve to 22-25 overall while the Hilltoppers fall to 14-22 overall and have not lost six in a row.
"Kayla and Jennifer really stepped up for us tonight and set the tone for us," head coach Marla Townsend said.
Harris and Nelson combined to hold the Hilltoppers to seven hits and just two runs in 14 innings. Harris earned her 10th victory of the season while Nelson won her 12th game. All of their hits allowed came in the first three innings.
Thursday's victories pushed the Blazers' winning streak to four games as they head into a three-game Conference USA series at Marshall this weekend.
The Blazers have a 7-8 record in the league after taking two games from Tulsa last weekend. The Herd have a 6-7 league record coming into the series. The teams are currently fourth and fifth in the conference respectively.
UAB's offense produced from top-to-bottom in game two, pounding out 10 hits and six RBI.
"I was really impressed how we hit everywhere in the lineup tonight," Townsend said. "It's good to see everyone producing this time of year."
Amanda Allen led the charge with her second home run of the year, a three-run blast to left field. Nelson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Holly Krzan had two hits and drove in a run.
Krzan's and Leigh Walker's back-to-back singles in the second put UAB on top 2-0. Allen made it a 5-0 game in the third inning with a blast to left field. Singles by Harris and Cameron Skates preceded Allen's home run.
The Blazers would tack on a run in the fifth on a Nelson single over the shortstop.
Western Kentucky would score its only run of the game on a groundout to the shortstop in the fourth.
Nelson (12-17) gave up three of her four hits in the first three innings. She struck out one and won her second straight decision.
Krzan's start in game two made her the Blazers' all-time leader in games started with 227. She made her record breaking start in left field and batting leadoff for UAB.
She passed Cliffanie Engram who played 226 games from 2000-03.
The Blazers made the most of their five hits in the first game and scored twice on errors in the contest.
Andrea Rogers and Harris both went 2-for-3 at the plate in game one and scored on Skates' single in the fourth inning, giving UAB a 3-1 lead. Skates went 1-for-3, with one RBI and run scored.
Skates scored the Blazers' first run in the second on a Western Kentucky throwing error, after reaching on an error herself.
Back-to-back singles by Rogers and Harris to start the fourth turned into runs when Skates singled to right. Rogers scored easily from second base and Harris from first base after the ball was misplayed by the right fielder.
The Hilltoppers scored the leadoff run in the first inning with two singles.
Harris (10-8) gave up three hits both in the first two innings. It was the third time in five starts that the junior has allowed three hits or less.
The Blazers' three-game series with Marshall begins Saturday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. EDT. The teams will wrap up the series with a single game Sunday at Noon.
