The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Western Illinois
Six-Run Third Keys 10-3 UAB Win Over Western Illinois
3/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2010
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Ryan Ussery had two doubles and the UAB baseball team used a six-run third inning to propel the Blazers to a 10-3 win over Western Illinois on Friday night at Young Memorial Field.
John Frost also collected a pair of hits for the Blazers, while Ussery, Harry Clark and Andrew Manning each drove in two runs as UAB snapped a four-game losing skid.
Mitch Kloskowski earned the win on the mound for UAB, allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings while striking out seven. Western Illinois starter Randon Lingle suffered the loss after giving up five runs in two innings.
UAB improved to 8-7 with the win, while Western Illinois dropped to 4-9. The teams will be back in action Saturday with a split doubleheader at Noon CT and 7:30 p.m. CT around the NIT game between UAB and NC State at 4 p.m. at Bartow Arena. The third game of the series was originally scheduled for Sunday but was moved up to Saturday night because of the threat for inclement weather on Sunday.
After finding the scoreboard with a run in the second inning Saturday, UAB strung together its six runs in the third inning on only two hits with the aid of three walks, a hit batter, a Western Illinois error and a wild pitch. Ussery highlighted the scoring with a two-RBI double.
UAB drew a total of nine walks in the game but also struck out 10 times against Western Illinois pitching.
"I thought we looked a little rusty out there, like we hadn't played in a week," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "We scored some runs but didn't really hit the way I would like to see us hit. We have to get better, and I'm excited we have two chances tomorrow to be better."
The Blazers closed their scoring with three runs in the seventh, plating two runs on a single from Clark and a third when Nick Crawford was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. It was the second time in the game Crawford was hit by a pitch.
Western Illinois scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings. Jason Summers and Bryan Jordan each hit solo home runs for the Leathernecks, which dropped their sixth straight game.
Tristan Farrell pitched the final two innings for UAB in relief of Kloskowski, allowing only Jordan's solo homer.
