The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Cal State Fullerton
Blazer Baseball Closes Weekend With 12-2 Loss To Fullerton
3/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 14, 2010
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The UAB baseball team closed out the San Diego State Invitational on Sunday with a 12-2 loss to Cal State Fullerton.
With the loss, UAB dropped to 7-7 on the season. Fullerton, which was ranked No. 26 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Poll, is also 7-7 after Sunday's game.
"This was a tough weekend for us," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "The good thing is we can learn a lot from these losses, and I think we will. If we do, we have a chance to be a successful team this season."
Luke Stewart, who was named to the all-tournament team, pounded his second home run of the season in the fifth inning Sunday to account for one of the Blazer runs. The other UAB run came from its first batter of the game, Jamal Austin, who tripled to lead off the contest and scored on an RBI ground out from Jonathan Merritt.
Stewart's home run was the 30th of his career as he moved into a tie for fourth on the Blazers' career list with Jeff Bell (1996-98). He is just one long ball away from tying second place on the list.
Fullerton starter Kyle Mertins allowed just those two UAB runs on six hits over six and one-third innings to earn the win. UAB starter Beau Pender suffered the loss, being charged with five runs on nine hits in six-plus innings before the Titans got to the UAB bullpen for seven more runs.
Sunday's contest was a two-run game through five innings, but Fullerton put the game away with six runs in the seventh inning. The Titans pounded out seven of their 18 hits in the seventh, including an RBI triple from Gary Brown and a two-RBI single from Tyler Pill, as they turned a 4-2 lead into a 10-2 advantage. Fullerton then tacked on two more in the ninth.
Bradley Hicks led UAB with two hits in the game. Corey Jones led Fullerton with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate and three RBI, while Pill went 3-for-4 with three RBI for the Titans.
UAB is now off until Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT when the Blazers return to action at Young Memorial Field to host Western Illinois in the first game of a three-game series.
