The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Louisiana Tech
Blazers Fall to Louisiana Tech, 7-2
4/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RUSTON, La. -- Louisiana Tech scored four two-out runs in the seventh, taking advantage of three Blazer errors, to even the Conference USA series with a 7-2 win Saturday night at J.C. Love Field.
A solo blast from Esteban Tresgallo made it a 2-2 game midway through the seventh, but the Bulldogs' 4-run frame was enough to even the series at 1-1. With the loss, UAB drops to 22-15, 9-8 C-USA, while Louisiana Tech improves to 17-18, 4-12 C-USA.
Alex Luna went 5.2 IP in his start, with just one earned run allowed off five hits. Ryan Ruggles pitched an inning of relief with four runs allowed, while Adam Lamar closed it with a run allowed in 1.1 IP.
Nathan Vincent was the only Blazer to record two hits, going 2-for-5. Chase Davis, Jeff Schalk, Tyler Mims and Esteban Tresgallo all had one hit each.
Louisiana Tech scored one time each in the second and third, the first run after a Blazer error. Taylor Nichols reached on an E4, and Mason Paxton singled up the middle to make it a 1-0 lead for the Bulldogs.
Colby Johnson hit a solo home run over the right field wall to extend the advantage to 2-0, before a single through the right side in the top half of the fourth from Schalk cut the lead it half and made it a 2-1 contest midway through the fourth.
After a lightning delay for more than a half hour, play resumed and both teams swapped scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth. Tresgallo changed that and the score in the seventh, crushing a solo home run to left center field, his fifth of the year, tying the game at 2-2.
Louisiana Tech faced two UAB pitchers with three hits, capitalizing on three Blazer errors in the seventh. The Bulldogs got the bases loaded with two outs, before a single and error scored two. The runner at first then broke for second, and he and the lead runner both crossed home after an exchange trickled to the backstop.
Another walk and hit by pitch loaded the bases again for Louisiana Tech, as Vincent's throw from third on a ground ball was low, scoring another unearned run for the Bulldogs. Lamar entered in relief to get the final hitter of the frame to strikeout looking.
The two teams return to Pat Patterson Park Sunday at 1 p.m. in the series finale.
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).
