The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
No. 12 Rice
Blazers Drop Series Finale to No. 12 Rice, 13-5
4/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A 7-run first inning for the visiting Owls proved to be the difference, and the UAB baseball team couldn't fight back, falling to No. 12 Rice, 13-5, Sunday afternoon at Young Memorial Field in the series finale.
Despite the loss, UAB (21-13, 8-7 C-USA) still wins the series vs. Rice (23-15, 12-6 C-USA) for the first time since the 2011 season.
"It's good to win a series every weekend," head coach Brian Shoop said. "With that said, I hope our kids are very disappointed because we had a great opportunity in front of us today and we didn't take advantage of it. Lot of positives on the weekend and we'll get back Tuesday with the Tide."
The Owls chased starter Johnny Lieske after two thirds pitched in the first, plating seven runs off three hits in the top half that spanned nearly a half hour. The Preseason C-USA Player of the Year John Clay Reeves had two home runs on the day, in a game where four were hit, including two from the Blazers to total four on the weekend.
Jeff Schalk's 3-run blast in the seventh inning kept the game alive, and he finished 3-for-5 to lead the Blazer offense. Esteban Tresgallo also went yard, his fourth of the season, totaling one RBI on the day.
Junior Stephen Baggett came in relief out of the pen early, going 1.2 IP with three runs and three hits allowed. Adam Lamar threw two innings with a home run allowed and two hits, while Nick Altobella also saw time on the hill, going 1.2 IP with an earned run allowed. Freshman Gavin Niquette was efficient in his two innings with just one hit allowed, and Sam Kelley pitched the final frame.
UAB's first run came in the fourth when Tresgallo stole third, then scored on a throwing error by the Rice catcher. Schalk's 3-run blast in the seventh made it a 12-4 game, and Tresgallo's solo shot in the eighth was UAB's final run on the day.
The Blazers made a bevy of changes in the seventh, including three-straight pinch-hit at bats to begin the frame. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Armstrong shot a single back up the middle in his first appearance of 2015, and eventually came home to score on the Schalk home run. Brett Blackwood, Matthew Furuto, and Tyler Hamby also got in the game, all drawing pinch-hit at bats and finishing out the game defensively.
UAB returns to action Tuesday night at the Hoover Met to face Alabama on the SEC Network.
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official Twitter account of UAB Athletics (@UABAthletics).
