March 9, 2008

Box Score

EL PASO, Texas ----- The UAB softball team dropped the final game of the three-game Conference USA series with UTEP Sunday afternoon, 10-2 in five innings.

The Blazers fall to 13-14 and 0-3 in Conference USA after the loss. UAB falls below .500 for the first time since Feb. 18, 2007 and breaks an 11-week streak of being above the mark. The Miners improved to 17-6 and 3-0 in the C-USA.

Jennifer Nelson (7-10) struggled in the first inning as the Miners jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Nelson took the loss giving up six hits and walking eight. She struck out four.

Andrea Rogers' two singles gave her four hits during the three-game series. Holly Krzan singled in her 16th run of the season in the second inning.

The Blazers loaded the bases in the first with two outs but were not able to do any damage.

Andi Zolton's bloop single started over a drawn-in infield started UTEP's six-run first inning. The Miners scored two additional runs on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch and walk. A run would score on a wild pitch and a close play at home. UTEP concluded its six-run inning with a single to left that scored one run, and gave the Miners a 6-0 lead after one inning of play.

The Blazers came right back and put their first two runners aboard in the second. Laura Callaway knocked out her fourth double of the season to begin the inning. Amanda Allen then reached base with her league-leading seventh hit-by-pitch. A sacrifice bunt by Mary Kendall Butler moved both runners into scoring position.

Krzan then singled to left scoring Callaway and moving Caley Walden, who pinch ran for Allen, to advance to third. Krzan was thrown behind at first and stayed in a run down long enough for Walden to score.

Nelson made quick work of the Miners in the second inning, in Krzan made a fantastic back-hand play in the hole and threw a strike just in time to get Jennifer Stalter for the second out.

UTEP then hit back-to-back home runs in its next at bat, giving them a 9-2 lead. Camilla Carrera hit a two-run homer to left which was followed by Amber Bennent's homer to center. Both long balls came with two outs.

A costly two-out error led to the Miners ending the game in the fifth, for the second time in the series. Carrera singled and reached third on the error and scored on Stacie Townsend's single to left.

UAB has now lost five in a row, marking the first time that has happened since 2006.

The Blazers return home next weekend to open their home C-USA schedule with a three-game series against the UCF Knights. The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday and single game on Sunday. UAB is 4-2 all-time against UCF.