The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Rice
UAB Falls to Rice in Game Two After Wild Affair
5/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Final Stats (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A number of school records were broken for the UAB baseball team in a lengthy and adventurous game versus Rice on Friday night. The Owls won 26-17 to improve to 27-28 overall and 16-13 in Conference USA. The Blazers, who saw the school-record fall for most combined runs in a game (43) and longest nine-inning game (4:44), are 23-31 and 8-21 in C-USA.
Rice opened the game with six runs in a 30-plus minute opening frame and batted around in the first inning with six runs on four hits and two home runs.
UAB responded with a solo blast from Zack Davis in the bottom of the second inning. It was the redshirt freshman’s second of the season.
The Owls went on to score 15 runs over the next four frames. Brewer Hicklen provided a two-run home run after Tyler Tolbert doubled earlier in the third inning. Rice led 21-4 at that point at the conclusion of five and a half innings.
The Blazers put up a tremendously valiant effort to try and battle back in the game from that point on. The Green & Gold would outscore Rice 13-5 the rest of the way.
Most notably was a ninth-inning, where at one point, seven straight Blazers reached base. UAB would end score eight runs on a flurry of hits (five), walks (three), and one hit by pitch. It was too little, too late though for the Blazers as they lost by nine runs.
The previous longest nine-inning game in school history was May 9, 2003 at East Carolina. The game-length neared the longest game in school history, an 18-inning game verus South Alabama on May 16, 1981 that finished in 4:55.
The 43 runs scored by the two sides was five more than the previous school record of 38 set on April 24, 2009 versus UCF.
Hicklen’s home run was his eighth of the season and he added his third RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth inning to score Tolbert. The sophomore center fielder improved his on-base streak to 40 straight game and wound up 2-for-4 with two runs and one walk.
Tolbert reached two hits and three runs in a single contest for the first time in his young career. The freshman second baseman added a fascinating sliding grab in the top of the third inning and also walked once.
Davis went 1-for-4 and scored three times on the night to go along with a walk and hit-by-pitch as he had two RBI, the latter coming on a bases loaded walk in the ninth frame.
Pierce Ressmeyer registered the most at-bats in the game for UAB. The senior backstop was 2-for-6 with two runs and two RBI.
Price Visintainer added a loaded line as he tied his career-best with three hits. The junior scored twice and drove in two while also walking once.
Colton Schultz registered his ninth-career multi-hit game as the freshman went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Jared Nixon came into the game in the top of the sixth inning and made the most of his first at-bat in the bottom portion of the frame with the bases loaded. The sophomore crushed a double to straight away centerfield to clear the bases. The three RBI is a new career-best for Nixon.
Antonio Ralat notched two hits and a late RBI as he scored the final Blazers run in the game. The Puerto Rico native batted 2-for-5.
Carson Jones started and received the loss after throwing a 1/3 of an inning. He ends his first campaign at UAB with a 3-5 record and five saves.
Tomorrow’s finale, originally scheduled for 1 p.m., has been moved up to noon on Saturday. The Blazers will honor nine individuals before the game as part of Senior Day. Fans are encouraged to be at the ballpark by 11:40 a.m.
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).
