May 3, 2008

East Carolina 3, UAB 1 | UAB 2, East Carolina 0

GREENVILLE, N.C. --- The UAB softball team outhit East Carolina twice, but were only able to win one game from their doubleheader Saturday at the ECU Softball Complex.

UAB improves to 24-33 and 9-14 in the Conference USA standings after the split. East Carolina goes to 34-27 and 9-12 in C-USA play.

The Blazers won the second game, 2-0, thanks to a mighty pitching performance from Jennifer Nelson, who also provided the game winning RBI in the fifth inning. UAB lost the first game on two costly illegal pitches, that gave East Carolina the 3-1 win.

"We outhit them both games and just weren't able to win them," head coach Marla Townsend said. "I thought that our girls played extremely tough, especially when it came in the clutch in the game two."

Nelson (14-21) allowed just two hits and threw a season-lo w 91 pitches in a start. She also struck out five, moving herself three strikeouts shy of reaching the 800-career strikeout mark.

UAB knocked out three of their five hits in the game in the two-run fifth inning. Laura Callaway and Cameron Skates singled back-to-back to start the inning. Callaway was then replaced by Crumpton, who along with Skates, moved up a base on a wild pitch.

Jennifer Nelson then laid down a squeeze bunt that allowed Crumpton to score from third. Leigh Walker would then single thru the middle scoring Skates and giving UAB the 2-0 lead.

Nelson would retire the last 11 batters to earn the victory for UAB. She fanned two and benefitted from two inning-ending double plays being turned behind her.

"She went after hitters quicker than usual," Townsend said. "Jennifer also sped up the time between pitches, which keep her in the flow tonight."

Suzanne Riggs (3-5) was the losing pitcher for the Pirates. She gave up two earned runs on five hits.

All of the runs were scored early in the second game, with UAB posting its one run in the first inning on three hits. Leigh Walker started off the game with a single to the second base, before scoring on Kayla Harris' shot down the right field line.

East Carolina battled back to score two runs to the lead from the Blazers. The Pirates' Angel Barrella singled to the start the inning and eventually scored from third base on a called illegal pitch by the third base umpire. Charina Sumner, who followed Barrella with a single, scored ECU's second run on an error by Kayla Orr.

The Pirates' third run of the game would score on Harris' second illegal pitch of the game.

"She wasn't able to get her foot down before she started towards home," Townsend said. "It is a small thing that most times isn't noticed. Unfortunately it was called in two situations where it allowed East Carolina to score."

Walker came up with two of the Blazers' seven hits in the contest and improved her Conference USA batting average to .319, which leads the team.

It was only the fifth time this season that UAB lost when out hitting its opponent.

Brooke Swann (22-18) earned the victory in game one for East Carolina. She gave up seven hits, two past the second inning, and struck out one.

UAB's fate for seeding for the league tournament, May 8-10 in Houston, depends on the remaining outcomes of the UCF at Southern Miss games. With the loss in game one, the Blazers cannot reach any higher than the sixth seed.

"We just need to come out and take care of our business Sunday and let everything else happen," Townsend said.

The final league standings and seeding for the league tournament will be available after the conclusion of league games Sunday.

The Blazers and Pirates will close out the regular season with a single game beginning at Noon CDT Sunday.