The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
SAINT LOUIS*
Blazers Top Saint Louis, 12-1, In C-USA Opener
3/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 18, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team opened conference play with a 12-1 win over Saint Louis on Friday night at Young Memorial Field. With the win, the Blazers (13-5, 1-0 C-USA) extend their winning streak to seven games, the team's longest streak since winning seven straight to start the 2004 season. The Billikens (2-11, 0-1 C-USA) have now lost six in a row.
The Blazers' defense turned three double plays in the game while the offense has now scored at least ten runs in five consecutive contests. Seven different UAB batters recorded at least one hit, with each of those seven also driving in at least one run.
UAB junior righthander Randy Mills got the start and went seven innings, allowing just one run while striking out four and improving to 2-0 on the season. Saint Louis starter Tim Landy falls to 1-3 after allowing eight earned runs in 3.2 innings.
"I thought the middle of our order really swung the bats well," said head coach Larry Giangrosso. "And the lower part of the order was on base the whole game, so that made for a lot of runs."
The Blazers jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the second inning. Nathan McCorkle led off with a double to the wall in right-center field and came around to score when Phillip Bell lined a two-out single over the head of Saint Louis shortstop Pat Steinhoff. Rush Knight then followed with his second home run in as many games, a two-run blast over the trees in left-center field.
A two-out single up the middle by Drew Eder in the top of the third scored Jon Guyre with Saint Louis' first and only run of the game.
UAB added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Bell and Knight reached on consecutive singles and moved into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Metcalf. Clint Toomey then came through with an RBI single up the middle and Dan Stucky followed with a sacrifice fly, extending the Blazers' lead to 5-1. With Toomey and Cole Helms on base, McCorkle then launched a three-run home run over the right-center field wall, putting the Blazers up by seven runs. The homer was McCorkle's team-leading sixth of the season.
Helms, McCorkle and Zac Ward each contributed RBIs in the bottom of the sixth, giving UAB an insurmountable 11-1 lead.
Game two between the Blazers and Billilkens is slated for Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Young Memorial Field.
