TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 2 ranked Alabama softball team (7-0) will wrap up its road trip to start the season with a midweek contest against instate foe UAB (5-5). The Crimson Tide will meet the Blazers on Tuesday, Feb. 21, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m., at the UAB Softball Field. The game will be carried live in Tuscaloosa on WVUA-FM with Chad Haynie on the call.
LAST TIME OUT
The No.2-ranked Alabama softball team continued its winning ways as it swept its three games at the SEC/ACC/Big XII Challenge this weekend in Auburn, Ala. Alabama opened the tournament with a 12-9 victory over No. 20 Georgia Tech on Friday. UA then downed Virginia Tech, 7-3, on Saturday and was slated to play No. 4 ranked Oklahoma afterwards but inclement weather canceled the top-five matchup. Alabama closed out its stay with a Sunday morning 3-1 victory over No. 15 Oklahoma State.
WHO TO WATCH
Senior Cassie Reilly-Boccia carried Alabama to three wins over the weekend at the SEC/ACC/Big XII Challenge. The New York native led the team in six offensive categories, including: a .667 average, six hits, seven RBI, a 1.000 slugging percentage, a .692 on base percentage and two walks. Reilly-Boccia got the tournament started off in impressive fashion as she batted 4-for-4, drove in three runs and reached base five times against No. 20 Georgia Tech. The four hits was a career high. She then drove in three more, reaching base in her first two at-bats in the win against Virginia Tech. Reilly-Boccia then hit her first home run of the season when she belted a solo shot off the scoreboard in a 3-1 win over No. 15 Oklahoma State.
SCOUTING UAB
UAB enters the week with a 5-5 record after finishing 2-3 at the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. The Blazers earned wins over Southern Utah (2-0) and North Dakota (9-8), dropping the three games to Arizona (7-0), and Western Kentucky (3-2, 6-0) twice. UAB is hitting .234 as a team and pitching at a 2.88 clip. The Blazers have been outscored 38-29 while opponents are hitting .262 and sport a 2.11 ERA. Individually Mandy Lowman leads the team with a .455 average, two home runs and five RBI. Kristen McGrath has provided the punch with a team-best three home runs and six RBI. In the circle, Leigh Streetman has tallied the most starts, posting a 1-2 record and a 3.46 ERA. She has struck out 28 in 26 1/3 innings while opponents have hit .280 against the sophomore. UAB returns 15 letterwinners and seven starters to a team that finished 39-19 overall and third in C-USA with a 17-6 record. Head coach Marla Townsend is in her 14th season and has posted a 348-360 record.
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams will be meeting for the 11th time with Alabama holding a perfect 10-0 advantage. The two programs last played each other on Feb. 22, 2011, at the UAB Softball Field with the Tide earning a 3-0 win. UA scored three seventh inning runs and used a one-hit, 14 strikeout gem from Kelsi Dunne to escape with the victory. Senior Jennifer Fenton enters the game with a .353 lifetime average against the instate foe, tallying a double, triple, home run and three RBI while stealing two bases. Fellow senior Jazlyn Lunceford has batted .364 with three RBI and has stolen two bases.
NEXT TIME OUT
Alabama will finally open its home schedule when it hosts East Carolina, North Dakota State and SIUE at the Easton Bama Bash presented by Drash. The Tide will play a total of five games, opening the tournament on Friday, Feb. 24, with two games, beginning the day against ECU at 4 p.m., followed by a matchup with NDSU right after.
Release Courtesy of UA Athletics
