BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After UAB took the first game of Saturday's doubleheader 4-1, Lizzy Fox tossed seven scoreless innings to lead UTSA to a 2-0 victory in game two to earn a split at Mary Bowers Field.
Kendall Burton had three hits and an RBI to help lead the Roadrunners (19-29, 10-10 C-USA) offense. Fox threw 10.2 innings during the day and allowed four runs, all of which came in the opener.
UTSA wasted little time in jumping ahead of the Blazers (23-27, 13-7 C-USA) with a run in the top of the first inning of game two. Randee Crawford lined a one-out single to left field before Zoe Bacon drew a walk. With two outs, Burton grounded a single up the middle to plate Crawford for a 1-0 lead.
That would prove to be enough for Fox, who did not allow a hit until the third inning and did not permit a runner to touch third base all game.
Burton started the top of the fourth with a single to left field and moved to scoring position following a sacrifice bunt from Jade Smith. Two batters later, pinch-hitter Alyssa Cummings drilled the third pitch of her at-bat to center field to score Burton and double the lead to 2-0.
UTSA nearly tacked on another run, but Bailee Baldwin was robbed of a hit when second baseman Amy Waters jumped and snagged a liner that would have scored another run.
UAB put a runner on second base in the fifth and sixth, but each time that the home squad threatened to get on the board, Fox would shut the door on any potential rally. The sophomore then retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure her ninth win of the season and the first shutout of her career.
In the opener, UAB got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the first. Caitlin Attfield's infield single started the frame and she would score following a walk, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly from Mary Warren.
Fox threw scoreless frames in the second and third, but ran into trouble in the fourth when the Blazers scored three runs with two outs to push their lead to 4-0. Waters lined an RBI double to right field that plated a pair and Danii Fernandez capped the scoring with a single down the third base line to chase Fox from the contest.
UTSA got on the board in the top of the sixth, but the visitors had a chance for more after loading the bases with just one out.
Burton started the inning with a single up the middle before Crawford dropped a hit to center and Soejfe reached after getting hit by a pitch for the second time. That brought up pinch-hitter Bacon, who fell behind 0-2 but worked a run-scoring walk with an 11-pitch plate appearance to trim the deficit to 4-1.
However, Goodwin got a ground-ball double play to end the inning and preserve a three-run cushion. She then retired the side in order in the top of the seventh for her 13th victory of the spring.
The teams will square off in the rubber match of the series at 11 a.m. on Sunday afternoon (please note the time change) and the game can be seen on the American Sports Network (check local listings).
