Blazers Finish UAB Softball Invite 4-0 with Alabama State Shutout

Sunday, February 28

BIRMINGHAM, AL.

12:30 P.M.

UAB

8-5

Alabama State

2-10

Alabama State

UAB

Blazers Finish UAB Softball Invite 4-0 with Alabama State Shutout

2/28/2021 4:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM – The Blazers closed out a 4-0 weekend at the UAB Softball Invite with a 6-0 shutout over Alabama State on Sunday afternoon at Mary Bowers Field. Sarah Cespedes (1-0) earned her first victory of the season in the circle, pitching three innings with no hits and recording three strikeouts.

After a scoreless first, the Blazer bats got hot in the bottom of the second. With Faith Hegh and Sam Bean on base, Olivia Valbak singled to center field, driving home Bean and advancing Hegh to second.

A two RBI double from Jenna Olszewski then scored Valbak and Hegh, putting UAB up 3-0 to end the second.

The Blazers didn't score again until the bottom of the fifth when a Sam Bean RBI single scored Apiag, who had her first two hits of the season against the Hornets, and increased their lead to 4-0.

UAB plated two more runs in the sixth, with a Taylor Watford sacrifice fly scoring Brooke Davis and an Apiag RBI single to center field scoring Makalah Mitchell.

Apiag and Analyse Petree each finished the game with a team-high two hits. UAB had 10 hits on the day.

Emily Kachel, who pitched three innings of relief, finished with no runs, one hit and one strikeout. Jaycee Cook, who pitched the final inning for UAB, allowed no runs and two hits.

"Our goal was to finish the weekend unbeaten," head coach Joe Guthrie said. "I'm happy that we accomplished that goal. We have a lot to improve on and big challenges ahead this week."

UAB (8-5) went 4-1 in its five games this week, with its only loss at No. 4 Alabama. In that five-game stretch, Jenna Olszewski batted a team-high .643, with nine hits, four RBI, four stolen bases and two runs.

The Blazers outscored their opponents 24-2 in their four home games.

Up next, the Blazers travel to Athens for the Georgia Tournament on Mar. 5-7, where they will face Georgia, Mercer and Charleston Southern in the three-day tournament.