The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Houston
Baseball Falls In Series Finale 4-3 To Houston In 11 Innings
4/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 8, 2001
HOUSTON - Chris Klosterman squeezed home Sam Mitchell in the bottom of the 11th to lift Houston to a 4-3 Conference USA baseball victory over UAB here Sunday afternoon at Cougar Field to complete the three-game sweep of the Blazers.
For the second time in three games, the league-leading Cougars (19-18, 11-1) scored the game-winning run in extra frames on a suicide squeeze bunt. UH recorded that feat Friday night as well in its 1-0, 12-inning triumph.
The Blazers (17-15, 3-9) outhit the home squad 10-8, but left 11 base runners stranded in the contest, which included leaving the bases loaded in the seventh and the Cougars getting out of a bases full jam with no outs in the ninth.
UAB had taken a 3-2 advantage in the fifth with a pair of runs. A leadoff walk to Keith Barnes followed by a sacrifice by Christian Reimers, allowed Holmes to tie the score at two with a single through the right side. Brandon Isbell put the Blazers ahead later in the frame with a sacrifice fly.
Chris Snyder, though, knotted up the score again for UH at three with a solo home run to open the sixth.
After the Blazers scored the game's first run in the opening frame on a single to center by Chris George, the Cougars rallied to take the lead in the third.
UH loaded the bases on a double a hit batsman and a bunt single before Blazer starter walked consecutive hitters and exited the game. UAB went to the bullpen for Ross Dobbins who got a strikeout and then induced a double play to get out of the inning.
Dobbins went on to pitch 6 1/3 innings and allowed only one run on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk but did not figure in the decision.
Bryan Harris (3-1) hurled the final three frames, retiring all eight batters he faced, including three strikeouts to get the victory.
Blake Allen (3-2) allowed a run on two hits with a pair of walks and two strkeouts to suffer the defeat.
The Blazers return to action when they travel to Tuscaloosa for a 7 p.m. contest Tuesday in a makeup of an earlier season rainout.
