The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Murray State
UAB Softball Splits Midweek Doubleheader With Murray State
3/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 15, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB softball team split a doubleheader with Murray State Tuesday afternoon at UAB Softball Field. The Blazers claimed the first game, 4-0, but fell, 2-0, in the finale.
UAB is now 17-8 overall, while Murray State is 4-12.
"We faced a very scrappy team today in Murray State," UAB head coach Marla Townsend said. "We both had seven hits total, but the fact that we left nine on base in the first game and 12 on base in the second game shows that we have some work to do. When they walked eight of our girls in that second game, we need to be able to put the ball in play."
Game One: UAB 4, Murray State 0
Designated player Kristen McGrath led the Blazer offense in the first game. McGrath blasted her first career home run and went 2-for-3 with one run and two RBI.
Murray State right fielder Megan Glosser went 2-for-3 to lead the Racers at the plate in the contest.
Blazer pitchers Lauren Webster and Alisha Smith combined for 14 strikeouts in the win. Webster (7-2) made the start in the circle, fanning eight batters and allowing four hits in four innings of work. Smith held the Racers hitless in the final three innings to pick up her second save of the season.
McGrath reached on a single to leftfield and advanced on the throw in the second inning. Pinch runner Kristi Morton moved to third on a Racer miscue and scored on a base-knock to rightfield by Webster to put the game's first run on the board.
The Green and Gold tallied another run in the third frame after Webster was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to claim the 2-0 advantage.
The Blazers added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth after McGrath blasted a two-run long ball to right centerfield to increase UAB's lead to 4-0.
Murray State pitcher Chelsey Sullivan (2-7) gave up seven walks and two earned runs to take the loss.
Game Two: Murray State 2, UAB 0
Murray State put the game's only runs on the board early in Tuesday's finale. In the first frame, Glosser led off with a single. Two batters later, second baseman Lauren Buch hit a long ball to right centerfield to give the Racers the 2-0 lead.
Both teams posted three hits in the contest. The Blazers loaded the bases in three different innings, but were unable to capitalize and eventually left 12 on base for the game.
Murray State utilized a trio of pitchers in the win. Shelby Kosmecki made the start and allowed two hits and walked five batters in the first 3.1 innings. Winning pitcher Madysen Wilton (1-3) allowed one hit and gave up three free passes in 2.1 innings in the circle. Finally, Chelsey Sullivan earned the save after holding UAB hitless in the final 1.1 innings to preserve the victory.
Freshman Lannah Campbell (2-2) suffered the loss for the Blazers after allowing two earned runs on three runs in five innings of work. Classmate Leigh Streetman tossed the final two innings and did not allow a hit.
The Blazers remain in Birmingham this weekend to host Conference USA foe Southern Miss. The series kicks off Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. CT, and will conclude with a single contest Sunday at 1 p.m.
