East Carolina University
UAB
Blazers Down Pirates Twice Saturday
April 10, 2010 | Softball
April 10, 2010
Box Score |
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Photo Gallery II
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina softball team’s winning streak was snapped at eight games when it was shut out in a pair of games against UAB Saturday afternoon. The Blazers (24-11, 8-3 C-USA) picked up a 2-0 victory in 11 innings in the opener as Sallie Van Kirk hit a two-out, two-RBI triple. In the second contest, a pair of home runs in the second inning led UAB a 5-0 victory. The Pirates (22-14, 5-3 C-USA) had not lost the first two games of a Conference USA series since April 12, 2008, at No. 10 Houston.
Junior Toni Paisley (16-8) suffered the first loss in her past 11 decisions in the opener. She went all 11 innings and allowed four hits and the pair of runs. She also struck out 13 batters and walked one. With the Blazers’ two runs in the 11th inning, East Carolina’s scoreless innings streak was snapped at 42 frames. UAB’s Alisha Smith (8-6) threw the complete-game shutout as she scattered six hits and a walk while striking out seven. The Pirates had not been blanked since March 10 at Fresno State.
Sophomore Faith Sutton (6-6) took the loss in the second contest as she surrendered five runs on seven hits and four walks. Lauren Webster (11-4) gave up only first-inning and seventh-inning singles as she shut out the Pirates. Webster struck out 11 batters and did not give up a walk in the compete-game effort. She also became the first pitcher to record double-digit strikeouts against ECU since Fresno State’s Morgan Melloh picked up 11 March 10.
In the opener, neither team put a runner on base until ECU junior Sissy Jimenez singled with one out in the bottom of the third. A sacrifice bunt by senior Cristen Aona moved Jimenez to second, but she was left stranded when senior Marina Gusman-Brown grounded out to shortstop.
The Blazers put their first hit on the board with one out in the top of the fourth when Caley Walden dropped a single in front of Gusman-Brown in left field. Paisley responded by striking out the next two batters to leave Walden on first base.
In the bottom of the inning, the Pirates had a chance to score but could not convert. Senior Christina Merrida led off with an infield single to the shortstop and classmate Charina Sumner followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved Merrida to second. Sophomore Priscilla Velasquez reached on an error by the third baseman and Merrida held at second on the play. Senior Kaui Tom stepped up and hit a hard line drive to the first baseman, who made the catch and doubled off Velasquez to end the inning.
ECU had another chance to score in the bottom of the sixth inning as Aona led off with a sharp single up the middle. After Gusman-Brown struck out looking, Aona stole second base. Merrida then struck out before Sumner grounded out to second base to end the threat.
As the game went into extra innings, the Pirates had the first scoring opportunity as they put their leadoff batter on in the eighth inning when Jimenez drew a walk. Aona sacrificed her to second. A Gusman-Brown groundout moved Jimenez to third, but she was left there following another groundout.
In the top of the 10th, Walden recorded her second hit of the contest as she reached on an infield single. Maegan Hornsby came in to pinch run and was thrown out at second base when Cameron Skates put down a bunt. Skates was safe at first on the fielder’s choice. Mandy Lowman followed with a line drive into right field that senior Vanessa Moreno caught and doubled Skates off first base for an inning-ending double play.
UAB broke through with the game-winning runs in the top of the 11th. Kayla Orr led off with a single to center field. After a pop-out, a sacrifice bunt moved Orr to second with two outs. Natalie Mitchell was hit by a pitch and Van Kirk came through with the triple to right center that plated both runners.
East Carolina put runners on second and third with two down in the bottom of the inning, but Gusman-Brown was picked off third base to end the game.
In the second contest, the Blazers took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second with a solo home run by Lowman, her team-leading ninth of the year, and a two-run shot by Kate Armstrong.
UAB tacked on two more runs with bases loaded walks in the top of the fifth to push the advantage to 5-0. Mitchell drew a one-out walk and with two down Landrum singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. Walden followed with a single through the right side to load the bases. Skates and Lowman drew back-to-back free passes to force in Mitchell and then Landrum. Sutton struck out Orr to escape without any more damage.
In the top of the seventh, the Blazers had the final scoring chance of the game as Landrum led off with an infield single, stole second base and went to third on a two-out single by Lowman. Sutton recovered to retire Orr on a fly-out to left field to end the inning.
East Carolina recorded a two-out single to left center by freshman Kai Clark and Velasquez followed reaching on an error in the bottom of the seventh, but both were left stranded when Tom popped out to shortstop to close the game.
The Blazers go for the three-game sweep tomorrow with a 12:00 p.m. contest.
