The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
North Texas
UAB Softball Splits Saturday Doubleheader at North Texas
5/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Final Stats | Game One Box (PDF) | Game Two Box (PDF)
DENTON, Texas – After cruising to a 9-1 victory to open the series, the UAB softball team fell to North Texas in game two, 5-0, to split Saturday’s doubleheader at Lovelace Stadium.
UAB scored four runs with two outs in the top of the first inning to jump out early as the Blazers cruised to a 9-1 victory over the Mean Green to open the three-game series.
Stacey Underwoord pitched a two-hit shutout as North Texas won, 5-0, to keep UAB from clinching the Western Division.
UAB has clinched one of the top three seeds at next week’s Conference USA Championship. A win in Sunday’s regular-season finale clinches the No. 2 seed and the Western Division title.
“We are coming out Sunday with opportunities in front of us,” head coach Marla Townsend said. “We have to show up and play ball like we are capable of playing. We have to strive for excellence.”
Senior Ashley Johnson led UAB in Saturday’s doubleheader going 3-for-6 with two RBIs and one run scored. Junior Amy Waters also batted .500 in Saturday’s contests (2-for-4) with one RBI.
Junior Cara Goodwin earned her 15th victory of the season as she tossed a complete game to open the series, allowing just one run off three hits with six strikeouts.
Senior Caitlin Attfield reached another milestone in game one of Sunday's doubleheader as the shortstop recorded her 300th career hit.
Game One (W, 9-1)
After back-to-back, two-out walks issued by Jessica Elder, Johnson singled to center field to put the Blazers up early in the first inning, 1-0. Freshman Hannah Lee loaded the bases with UAB’s third walk of the third inning before sophomore Rachel Dunsford and Waters followed with back-to-back singles to score three more Blazer runs.
Elder and Goodwin engaged in a pitchers duel, tossing four scoreless innings before the Blazers worked two-out magic in the top of the sixth.
Attfield knocked her first hit of the game with a single to left field to lead off for the Blazers before Johnson and Lee hit back-to-back, two-out singles to score two UAB runs, extending the Blazer lead to 6-0.
UAB added three runs in the top of the seventh after sophomore Madison Millsaps knocked a pinch-hit home run to right center field to extend to UAB lead to 9-0.
Goodwin brought a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning, but Lauren Miller homered to left field to score North Texas’ lone run of the contest.
The junior tossed the complete game, allowing one run off three hits and one walk with six strikeouts. Goodwin improved her record to 15-9 on the season.
Three Blazers recorded multiple hits in the opening game of the series. Johnson led the way, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored.
Game Two (L, 5-0)
North Texas took its first lead of the series in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run to right center field from Harley Perella.
The Mean Green extended its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third scoring three runs off a single and two UAB errors.
North Texas added a fifth run in the bottom of the sixth after three consecutive, one-out singles.
Stacey Underwood dealt a two-hit shutout to keep the Blazers off the board in her seventh victory of the season. Junior Madison Hir was tagged with the loss as she allowed four runs off four hits and one walk with one strikeout. Hir fell to 6-10 on the season.
UAB and North Texas face off in the regular-season finale Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
For more information on the UAB softball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UABSoftball). For more on all Blazer sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
