The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
East Carolina
Blazer Bats Come Alive in DH Sweep At ECU
4/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 6, 2012
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score |
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GREENVILLE, N.C. – The UAB softball team swept a doubleheader against the East Carolina Pirates with 1-0 and 5-3 victories on Friday at the ECU Softball Complex.
The Blazers (23-13, 9-2 C-USA) and the Pirates (15-23, 3-8) will complete the three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
Game 1: UAB 1, ECU 0
The first game was scoreless through two innings of play. Erica Sisson scored the lone run of the game in the top of the third inning. She took a first pitch Sarah Christian offering over the left field wall with one out in the top of the third inning for her first home run of the season.
Sisson went 2-for-2 with one run, an RBI and one homerun, while Heather Pearson added a hit in the contest.
The Pirates had a chance to comeback in the bottom of the fourth inning. Priscilla Velasquez smacked a leadoff single and Jordan Lewis reached on a UAB error. A wild pitch from UAB pitcher Lannah Campbell sent the runners to third and second with one out. Campbell struck out the next batter and forced a fly out to center to escape the inning.
Campbell (10-4) pitched her sixth complete game of the season allowing four hits, striking out seven and walking none. It was her fourth shutout of the season.
Christian tossed her 10th complete game of the season, but was tagged with the loss as she allowed one earned run to score, three hits and two strikeouts.
Game 2: UAB 5, ECU 3
ECU jumped out to an early lead thanks to a leadoff triple from sophomore Kristi Oshiro. Jill Jelnick singled through the left side in the next at bat to score Oshiro.
In the third inning, Sisson smacked a leadoff single to center field and Chandler Orr entered the game to run. Pearson moved C. Orr to second base on a textbook sacrifice bunt. Fletcher stepped to the plate and rocked a pitch to right field, plating C. Orr from second and tying the score 1-1.
In the bottom of the same frame, the Pirates loaded the bases with one out. UAB pitcher Leigh Streetman took matters into her own hands, striking out Jasmine Robbins, and fielding Kai Clark’s grounder cleanly and getting the out at first to end the inning.
With one out, UAB tallied back-to-back singles in the top of the fourth by Lauren Webster and Kate Armstrong. A groundout by Sisson advanced the runners to third and second. Pearson walked to load the bases for Whitney Fletcher, but grounded out to shortstop and the Pirates ended the inning unscathed.
ECU took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning. ECU juiced the bases with no outs, ending the day for Streetman as Amber Torres took over in the circle. Jelnick hit a ball to Pearson who got the force out at second, but a run still scored. On the next play, Pearson mishandled a grounder and another Pirate run scored.
Catherine Crawford answered in the top of the fifth frame with a leadoff solo-shot over the left field wall to close ECU’s margin to one, 3-2. Christian entered the game to relieve starter Courtney Smith.
K. Orr singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mandy Lowman. Tiffany Smith entered the game to run and scored on a Kristen McGrath single up the right side, tying the game at three.
Crawford went 3-for-4 with two hits and two RBI.
UAB took the final 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs, Fletcher hit an infield single. She scored from first base on a double off the bat of Crawford. In the next at bat, K. Orr smoked a line drive to the Pirate second baseman, but the ball got passed her and Crawford scored from second.
The Blazers outhit the Pirates, 11-8, in the win.
Torres (4-3) earned the win for UAB pitching the last 4.0 innings. Christian (12-13) took her second loss of the day.
