The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Memphis
Hardy's Walk-Off Homer Downs Memphis Saturday, 9-7
5/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 2, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Brint Hardy came through with some late-inning heroics for the second game in a row Saturday to lift UAB to a 9-7 victory over Memphis.
With the game tied 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth, Hardy sent a two-run homer over the right field fence at Young Memorial Field to give the Blazers the victory and secure a win in the Conference USA series. UAB (26-20, 8-9 C-USA) has won the first two games of this weekend over Memphis (19-27, 5-12 C-USA) and will go for the sweep Sunday.
Sunday's first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT), and the game will be carried live in Birmingham on WSPZ-AM 690.
Hardy is getting used to making big plays late in games. In Friday's series opener, the senior outfielder tripled as part of a decisive three-run eighth inning and made what may have been a game-saving catch in the ninth inning as the Blazers opened the series with a 9-8 victory.
"Last year we had an all-conference player in Ryan Keedy who could take games over and was good enough to be the difference for us a lot of the time," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "We feel like we have an all-conference player this year in Brint, and he has taken over both games this weekend. He's a special player who has risen to the occasion and been a difference maker."
After Jonathan Merritt was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth inning Saturday, Nick Crawford reached on a fielder's choice as Merritt was forced out at second, leaving a runner at first with one out. Hardy fouled off the first pitch he saw but sent the second one high and deep to right field and over the head of Memphis right fielder Chris Newsom at the wall.
The home run was Hardy's fourth of the season, and he also tallied his 41st and 42nd RBI of the year on the play.
"Going into the bottom of the ninth with the top of the order up, I knew I was going to have a shot to win the game," Hardy said. "I was just trying to get a pitch to hit and stay on top of the ball. I swung over the top of the first pitch he threw me, and I thought he might go there again. He did, and I was able to sneak it out of the park."
Hardy's homer ruined a seven-run Memphis comeback that included five runs in the seventh inning as the Tigers knotted the score at 7-7. But Colin McMurry came out of the UAB bullpen to stop the Memphis momentum.
McMurry pitched the final two innings without allowing a base runner. The freshman left-hander needed just six pitches to retire Memphis in the eighth inning and then sent the side down in order again in the top of the ninth to give UAB a chance to win the game in its final at-bat.
McMurry improved to 3-1 on the mound, while Marcus Barnes (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season for Memphis after surrendering the ninth-inning runs.
"What a great job by Colin," Shoop said. "That's a tough spot to come into, and he went six up and six down to really earn that win. It's neat to see a senior in Brint and a freshman in Colin have such an impact on the game."
McMurry and Barnes were the fourth pitchers of the day for both teams. Heith Hatfield started the game for Memphis but allowed seven runs in 2.1 innings before leaving the contest. UAB starter Shay Crawford left in line for the win, giving up two runs in 5.2 innings, before the Memphis offense got to the Blazer bullpen.
Andrew Manning drove in three runs for UAB with a first-inning double, and Digger Towe highlighted a four-run third inning with a two-RBI double as the Blazers opened up a 7-0 advantage. Memphis clawed back with two runs in the sixth and then plated five in seventh, tying the game on a three-RBI double from Cole Shelton.
Shelton drove in a game-high four runs and joined Drew Martinez and Trey Wiedman with multiple hits for Memphis. Manning's three RBI led UAB as he and Hardy finished with two hits each for the Blazers. Hardy also scored a game-high three runs.
