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Nelson and Krzan Come Through In The Clutch To Defeat Tulsa
April 6, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The UAB softball came through in the clutch twice Sunday afternoon, rallying from one-run deficits in the seventh and eighth innings with two outs, to defeat Tulsa, 3-2. UAB won the final two games to take the series. Seniors Holly Krzan and Jennifer Nelson delivered the key hits for the Blazers who improve to 20-25 overall and 7-8 in the conference. Tulsa drops to 21-18 and 8-7. "Just an entire team effort today," head coach Marla Townsend said. "We are hoping this carries over and that we have a schedule that will help us going into the conference tournament." Both of the rallies came with two outs and the Blazers trailing by one run. Krzan singled home Mary Kendall Butler to tie the game in the seventh. Nelson delivered a two-run double that scored the winning run in the eighth. Nelson (11-17) earned the victory by scattering six hits and allowing one earned run over eight innings. Jordan Kinard (7-4) took the loss for Tulsa despite striking out nine and allowing five hits. The one-run win is the second in a row for UAB, who defeated Tulsa 6-5 Saturday on a Leigh Walker two-run home run in the bottom of sixth inning. Sunday's game was the sixth consecutive one-run contest for the Blazers, who dropped four to start the streak. "Their heart is what carried them through this," Townsend said. "A lot of teams out there would be deflated by it. I told them Friday to expect good things to happen and we had that today." A walk to Kayla Harris and infield single by Laura Callaway preceded Nelson's double.
Harris battled her way on base for the first time with the walk and Callaway hustled out a slow dribbler to shortstop that kept the inning alive for Nelson. The ball shot off of Nelson's bat and was misjudged by Tulsa centerfielder Vanessa Vice, allowing the ball to go over her head and reach the fence giving Callaway the chance to score standing up at home. It was Nelson first hit of the game and second double of the season. She had previously struck out three times before making an adjustment that leaded to the Blazers' one-run win, the second in a row. "She made a small adjustment and just saw the ball better," Townsend said. "The first couple of at bats she was losing sight of the ball but taking some great cuts. She foul tipped one and the next she drove to left center." Sunday's victory was the first time in 20 games this season where the Blazers trailed after six innings and rallied to win the game. Krzan's single that tied the game in the seventh came after an error by Tulsa catcher Christain Timmons that allowed Butler, who was pinch running, to advance from first to third. Timmons knocked down a pitch in the dirt, but had the ball slip out of her hand and down past third base in foul territory after she faked a throw to first base. Butler took third with a head-first slide just in front of the throw to Tulsa pitcher Jordan Kinard who was covering the bag. Krzan then singled thru the left side of the infield for her 20th RBI of the season. The Blazers trailed for most of the game after Tulsa took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a single by Timmons. UAB won its second conference series of the year. The Blazers head to Huntington, W. Va. for a three-game series with Marshall. The Blazers break for a weekend before playing Houston at George Ward Park and East Carolina on the road to wrap up the conference regular season. Amanda Allen was hit by a pitch twice, including the time she was replaced by Butler in the seventh inning. Allen has 15 on the season and is averaging one every other game. It was also the second extra-inning game that the Blazers have played this year. The Blazers conclude their season-long home stand Thursday evening when they host Western Kentucky for a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. |
