The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Louisiana Tech
Strong Offensive Day Pushes UAB Past Louisiana Tech, 18-9
4/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RUSTON, La. -- The UAB baseball team collected its most hits in a game in six years, as the Blazers took down Louisiana Tech, 18-9, Friday night at J.C. Love Field in the Conference USA opener.
Each starter in the UAB (22-14, 9-7 C-USA) lineup reached base safely at least once, as eight of the nine hitters tabbed at least one hit. The Bulldogs (16-18, 3-12 C-USA) committed five errors on the night, while the Blazers had three in the highest scoring C-USA game this season. Head coach Brian Shoop claimed career win No. 950 with the victory.
UAB's 20-hit performance marked the most in a single game since March 31, 2009 when UAB defeated Samford, 17-7. Six UAB players had at least two hits on the night, led by Chase Davis' 4-for-6 night. Adam Smith led the Green and Gold with four driven in after going 4-for-6, while Tyler Mims, Jeff Schalk and Adam Lau each drove in two.
James Naile went six innings for the Blazers, giving up just four hits -- three of them home runs -- with five strikeouts and three walks. Thomas Lowery pitched two clean innings and Gavin Niquette pitched the last with three runs allowed.
UAB jumped on the Bulldogs early, taking advantage of a home team error to score an unearned run. Esteban Tresgallo reached second after the right fielder dropped a fly ball in the right field corner, before Adam Lau drove him home on an RBI single that dropped into center.
The Blazers batted around in the third, as the Bulldogs committed two more errors. Nathan Vincent led it off with a double to right center and advanced to third on a passed ball. Griffin Gum then drove him in on a chopper to the shortstop, before Chase Davis roped a single to center. The Blazers then executed the double steal and an error on the throw back to the mound scored Gum and moved Davis to third.
Jeff Schalk made it a 4-0 game on a sacrifice fly to left field and Tresgallo followed with a single up the middle, before Tyler Mims doubled off the left field wall. Louisiana Tech starter Tyler Clancy then intentionally walked Adam Lau, setting up Adam Smith's two RBI single into left. The throw home from left sailed, pushing the runners up a base, as Matt Morse executed the squeeze play perfectly with an RBI bunt. Vincent's RBI single through the left side made it 8-0 in favor of the Blazers after two, closing the long third where UAB collected seven hits and the Bulldogs committed two errors.
Louisiana Tech got on the board first in the bottom half, plating three off a hit and one error. After a leadoff walk, the Bulldogs' two-hole hitter reached on an error at short on a potential double play ball. Taylor Love then launched a 3-run home run to right field, cutting the Blazers' lead to 8-3.
The two teams swapped solo home runs in the fourth, as Schalk blasted his team-best sixth long ball of the year to make it 9-3, before the Bulldogs' Bre'shon Kimbell homered to right, making it 9-4 after four.
Schalk reached on a one-out walk in the sixth, and Mims fired his second double of the day to left-center, extending the Blazers' lead to 10-4.
The Bulldogs cut into the lead again in the seventh off its third home run of the game -- a 2-run blast -- to make it 10-6 after seven.
UAB put together another big inning in the eighth, adding six insurance runs off six hits. Gum, Davis and Schalk all reached to begin the frame, before Tresgallo got an easy RBI off a bases loaded walk. Mims then pushed another run across off an RBI single through the left side, before Lau delivered a sacrifice fly to left. A Smith single loaded the bases again, before a wild pitch moved all runners up. Sam Kelley entered the game to pinch hit for Morse, and collected his first RBI of the season on a sacrifice fly to left. Vincent's single to third, followed by an errant throw from the third baseman, scored Smith to cap the 6-run eighth.
Smith went on to deliver a two RBI single into left center, making it an 18-6 contest.
The Bulldogs added three runs in the bottom half off a bases loaded hit by pitch, single to left, and sacrifice fly double play to end it.
The two teams return to the field Saturday in a scheduled 3 p.m. game at Pat Patterson Park.
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).
