The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Charlotte
Pair of Freshmen Power Blazers to Comeback Victory
4/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Final Stats (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Thomas Johns and Zack Davis each picked great times to hit their first career home run for the UAB baseball team. The two freshmen provided the scoring for the Blazers in a 3-2 comeback victory versus Charlotte on Friday night. It improved the Blazers record to 19-22 overall and 7-12 in Conference USA while the 49ers, who were receiving votes in the latest NCBWA Top 30, fell to 25-17 and 12-7 in C-USA.
"They are both guys with plus power, so it wasn't a shock," said UAB head coach Brian Shoop. "Their both guys who can leave the yard and I think will do that a lot in their career here. Thomas has been hot. Anybody that watches him take batting practice, he hits about 15 out every time. And Zack killed the ball in BP tonight. There was a chance that was going to happen."
Charlotte got on the board first with a run in each the top of the third and fourth innings. Johns then stepped to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning and crushed a ball over the right field wall to get the UAB scoring started and cut the lead to 2-1.
The bats on each side were stymied through the next two frames before an eventful seventh inning. The 49ers nearly increased their lead with the bases loaded but UAB starter Thomas Lowery forced a pop fly to right field to end the inning unharmed.
Colton Schultz led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to right field, his third hit of the day. This paved the way for Zack Davis to play the role of hero. Davis came in to pinch-hit for Tyler Tolbert and smoked the second pitch he saw down the right field line for a two-run home run. The Blazers led 3-2.
Great pitching and a superb defensive play would bring the game to a close for UAB. Isaiah Gonzales-Montoya relieved Lowery in the eighth inning and didn't allow a hit in the frame. Garrett Whitlock then came on to close the game and got the first batter he faced to strikeout chasing a high fastball. A single by T.J. Nichting in the next at-bat put a runner on but a 6-4-3 double play started by shortstop Antonio Ralat and turned by second baseman Blake Johnson and over to Johns end the game.
Lowery improved to 6-1 this season after hurling seven innings and allowing eight hits, two runs, one earned, and three walks. It was the 18th career win for Lowery moving him into a tie with Jeff Brown for third in program history.
Whitlock's save was the first of his young career.
Colton Laws was dealt his first loss of the season. The 49ers ace final line was six innings pitched, seven hits allowed, three runs, two walks, and nine strikeouts.
"Tonight was a great college game between two aces that pitched really well," said Shoop. "It was going to come down to a big hit, and we got one more."
Johns and Davis finished the night at the plate with the one hit each but they were each monumental in the Blazers winning tonight.
Schultz three-hit day was a career-best as he also scored on the homer by Davis. He was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate including one double.
Pierce Ressmeyer added a 2-for-4 day at the plate for UAB.
"There was a lot of people that contributed tonight," stated Shoop noting the relief pitchers and defensive efforts by Blake Johnson who came in to play second base after Davis' homer. "That always does your heart good as a coach to see guys, who don't always contribute all the time, have a big role and feel really good for them."
The two teams resume the series tomorrow beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Young Memorial Field with Tanner Graham set to face off against Josh Maciejewski.
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 (@UAB_Athletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uab_athletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
