The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Western Illinois
Stewart's Homers Power Blazers To Sweep Of Weekend Series
3/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Luke Stewart blasted two homers and John Frost added the first of his college career Saturday night as the UAB baseball team closed out a three-game sweep of Western Illinois with a 12-8 win at Young Memorial Field.
The victory capped Saturday's day-night doubleheader that saw UAB win game one 8-7 on a pinch-hit, walk-off single from Devin Hamilton.
With the pair of wins, UAB ran its record to 10-7 on the season and improved to 10-2 at home. Western Illinois, meanwhile, lost its seventh and eighth consecutive games to drop to 4-11 on the year.
Frost hit his two-run homer in the first inning, while Stewart pounded two-run shots in both the third and sixth frames. Both players went 3-for-5 in the game with Stewart driving in four runs and Frost plating three. Jamal Austin also finished with three RBI for the Blazers.
UAB finished with a total of four home runs over Saturday's two games with Andrew Manning going deep in game one.
"I thought the most encouraging thing about today was to see Luke and Andrew hit the ball well," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "We have to have those guys. We know how capable they are, and they swung the bats well today."
After surrendering a run in the top of the first, UAB took the lead on Frost's first-inning home run and never trailed again. The Blazers led by as many as seven runs at 8-1 before two runs from Western Illinois in the fourth and three more in top of the sixth closed the gap to 8-6.
But UAB responded in the bottom of the sixth with its second four-run inning of the night, including Stewart's second long ball, to open a comfortable lead again.
UAB starter Ryan Woolley worked five and one-third innings to earn the win, allowing six runs and striking out six.
The Blazers forced Western Illinois starter Jared Depenbrock from the game after just one and one-third innings and four runs, handing him the loss. UAB tacked on eight more runs against WIU relievers Carlos Pinedo and Chris Fuchs over the next four innings.
The Leathernecks threatened with a pair of unearned runs in the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded, but Benji Waite came out of the bullpen to secure a groundout from Rich Mascheri to pick up the save.
For Western Illinois, Tom Lilja led all players with four hits in the game, and Dan Dispensa added three. Jason Summers drove in a pair of runs for the Leathernecks.
Blazer pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts in the game, while the Western Illinois staff managed just two strikeouts against Blazer hitters.
With Saturday's wins, UAB recorded its first three-game sweep of an opponent since defeating Savannah State three in a row last March in Birmingham. The Blazers have now won four series in a row dating back to last season.
UAB returns to action with a midweek contest Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) at Kennesaw State. The Blazers are then home again next weekend for a three-game series with Southern Miss to open the Conference USA schedule.
