March 13, 2010

Box Score

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ORLANDO, Fla. - The University of Memphis softball team split a doubleheader with UCF on Saturday, suffering a 2-1 loss in game two at the UCF Softball Complex.

Both games of the doubleheader were decided by one run with the Tigers winning game one, 1-0. The two schools have a history of close contests with nine of the 14 games being decided by a run.

Memphis (11-8, 1-1) took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on two hits and an error, but UCF's Ashley Schmitt held the Tigers hitless the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, the Knights (14-10, 1-1) scored two runs on three hits in the third inning to take a lead it never relinquished.

Freshman Carly Hummel (6-4) suffered her second-straight one-run loss. She allowed two runs on four hits. Hummel had two walks and nine strikeouts in six innings of work. All but one of the hits came in the two-run third for UCF.

Schmitt (2-0) picked up her second win of the season. She allowed one unearned run on two hits with three walks and a strikeout.

The Tigers took their 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning. After a single by Lelani Bernardino , Maddie McKinley hit a two-out single to put runners at first and second. Bernardino then scored from second on an error by the third baseman on a ball hit by Vanessa Walle. The ball bounced off the third baseman, Hillary Barrow, and went into foul territory where the shortstop, Natalie Land, recovered it to make a throw home, but Bernardino slid just safe of the tag.

The Knights took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run double by Arielle Palafox. Land and Barrow reached first and second on a single and a hit by pitch with one out. Palafox then followed with the double to left center to score both runners.

Sam Soltis landed the third hit in the inning to put runners at first and third, but Mary Helen Tyler lined into a double play at second base to end the inning.

The Tigers put the tying run on base in the top of the seventh when Morgan Mosby took a leadoff walk. A sacrifice bunt by Nikki Moreno moved Mosby to second. Pinch hitter Kailey Kassner then lined a shot straight up the middle right at the pitcher, but Schmitt was able to catch the ball for the second out. Schmitt then got pinch hitter Jessica Phillips to ground out to end the game.

Memphis now returns home after spending the last 10 days on the road. The Tigers will host UTEP in a three-game conference series on Saturday and Sunday, March 20-21, at the Tiger Softball Complex.