The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Ohio
UAB Baseball Tops Ohio 7-2 Saturday
2/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB baseball team picked up its second win in a row with a 7-2 victory over Ohio University on Saturday afternoon at Regions Field.
Freshman reliever Garrett Whitlock earned the win for the Blazers (3-3, 0-0 C-USA), registering his first career win. The right-hander threw 4.1 innings, striking out four and holding the Bobcats (2-3, 0-0 MAC) to one run on four hits.
“Whitlock competed really well for us,” head coach Brian Shoop said. “His stuff is electric. He threw really well early, and he is going to be very good for us. He just has to get the mental and composure side of pitching down, and that just takes time.”
Senior outfielder Griffin Gum continued his hot streak at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and picked up his second stolen base of the year. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native raised his early-season batting average to a team-best .500.
Both UAB and Ohio plated a run in the second, and the pitching staffs kept the score knotted until the bottom of the fifth inning.
Freshman Jared Nixon’s leadoff walk and red-shirt freshman Brewer Hicklen’s hit by pitch set up a successful double-steal and RBI single for Evan Peterson. UAB added to its lead with a squeeze bunt from Gum to plate Hicklen from third, and an RBI groundout from Adam Smith pushed the score to 4-1.
“The fifth inning was the key to the game,” Shoop said. “Peterson drove one in for us to get us rolling, and Griffin’s bunt that didn’t even get out of the dirt scored one of only two guys on the team who could score on that play. It was a very good win.”
Gum and fellow senior Esteban Tresgallo posted back-to-back RBI doubles in the seventh, and Riley McCown hit into an error to bring in the final run of the game in the same inning.
The Blazers wrap up their series against Ohio on Sunday with a noon first pitch at Regions Field. Fans can receive a $1 child’s ticket with the purchase of a regularly priced adult ticket.
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 social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
