The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
at Southern Mississippi*
Blazer Bats Come Alive To Even Series at Southern Miss, 8-6
5/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 7, 2005
HATTIESBURG, Miss.-- UAB broke a 6-6 tie with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning and held on to defeat Southern Miss, 8-6 in game two of the series on Saturday at Pete Taylor Park. The Blazers improve to 29-18 overall, 13-10 in Conference USA and even the series against the Golden Eagles who fall to 33-15, 14-9 in league play.
Clint Toomey finished the day 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored while Nathan McCorkle added three hits and an RBI of his own for the Blazers. J.R. Bond also had two hits for UAB, including his fourth home run of the season.
Eric Roberts picked up the victory for the Blazers after working the final 2.2 innings, including striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth and improves to 3-2 on the season while John Nicholas of Southern Miss suffered his first defeat, falling to 3-1.
The Blazers jumped out to a 1-0 lead to open the game in the top of the first inning. Toomey grounded a single back through the box leading off, then came around to score from second on a two-out single to right field by McCorkle.
The Golden Eagles came right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Trey Sutton was hit by a pitch leading off, then came around to score on a two-out groundout by Brad Willcutt. Jason Lowery followed with a double down the left field line which scored Marc Maddox with the go-ahead run.
With the score tied at two in the top of the fifth, UAB pushed across the go-ahead runs. Ryan Metcalf led the inning off with his second single of the game and came around to score when McCorkle came through with a two-out, line drive single through the right side of the infield. With runners on first and second and still two outs, Cole Helms punched a seeing-eye single up the middle which brought Zac Ward home with the second Blazer run of the inning.
After Trey Sutton's sixth home run of the season brought Southern Miss back within a run at 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Bond jumped on the first pitch in the top of the sixth and crushed it high into the trees in left field for his second home run of the series and fourth of the season. Rush Knight then drew a walk and a Metcalf sacrifice bunt moved him into scoring position. Toomey then lined a single into left-center field, scoring Knight from second and giving the Blazers a three-run advantage.
The Golden Eagles came storming back in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Chris Matesich doubled down the left field line, then scored when Sutton followed with an RBI single. After UAB lifted Brown in favor of closer Eric Roberts, Kevin Coker smacked an RBI double of his own down the left field line, scoring Sutton. A wild throw on a pickoff attempt by Roberts allowed Coker to move to third base with just one out and Maddox then tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center.
The Blazers reclaimed the lead with two runs in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs and Metcalf on first base after reaching on a fielder's choice, Toomey ripped a double off the base of the right-center field wall, bringing Metcalf around with the go-ahead run. On the play, Southern Miss' Sutton threw wild on his relay to the plate, sailing the ball into the Golden Eagle dugout which allowed Toomey to take two extra bases and score, making the score 8-6 in favor of UAB.
The Blazers wrap up their series at Southern Miss on Sunday at Pete Taylor Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
