The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulane
Ninth-Inning Home Run Lifts Tulane Over Blazer Baseball 5-4 Saturday
4/28/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 28, 2001
NEW ORLEANS - Jake Gautreau connected on a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to lift Tulane to a 5-4 Conference USA baseball victory over UAB here Saturday afternoon at Turchin Stadium.
Gautreau's blast was his 17th of the season as the Green Wave (38-8 overall, 15-5 in C-USA) won for the 10th time this season in their final at bat. Gautreau clobbered a three-run homer in a seven-run eighth Friday night to lead the Wave to an 11-6 come-from-behind victory.
UAB (22-22, 5-15) found themselves down 3-2 in the top of the ninth before tying the score with a run-scoring double by Mark Garner. UAB then loaded the bases, before Cory Acklus was hit with a pitch by Tulane reliever Matt Foster to drive in the go-ahead run. The Blazers had a chance to increase the lead, but Eric Lyon grounded out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Blake Allen, UAB's third pitcher of the afternoon, allowed two runs on two hits in 2/3 of innings to suffer the loss and fall to 3-5. Foster, who came in for relief for the Wave in the ninth, go the win and improved to 7-3.
Mitch Jones gave the Blazers the early advantage by starting off the game with his third home run of the season. The Green Wave tied the score in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly by James Jurries and then went ahead in the second on a RBI groundout by Anthony Giarratano.
In the fourth for UAB, and with runners on the corners, Garner was picked off first base but the play allowed Brandon Isbell to score from third to tie the score at two.
The Blazers look to win the final game of the series when the two teams complete the set with a 1 p.m. contest Sunday.
