Blazers Top Falcons for Opening Weekend Sweep

Sunday, February 18

Regions Field

1:00 P.M.

UAB

3-0

Bowling Green

0-3

Bowling Green

UAB

Blazers Top Falcons for Opening Weekend Sweep

2/18/2018 5:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A strong first outing from Ryan Wesson gave the UAB baseball team all it would need to complete the Opening Weekend sweep as it defeated Bowling Green 6-2 on Sunday afternoon at Regions Field.

Wesson, making his first career start, lasted six innings giving up six hits while striking out four battiers including two in the first inning.

"That's what we expect, Ryan is one of our good guys," head coach Brian Shoop said. "Because he didn't close on Friday or Saturday he was able to start today and I think we will get pretty good and consistent outings out of him."

UAB took a lead in the first inning with two outs and it would not relinquish it. Following consecutive singles from Colton Schultz and Carter Pharis, Thomas Johns walked bringing Zack Davis to the plate. Davis doubled to left field driving in all three runs giving the Blazers a 3-0 lead.

"It was nice to come out fast today," Shoop said. "Our bats in the first inning were great and it was good to get to play with a lead that our pitchers did a good job of holding on to."

Bowling Green scored its first run on the game in the fourth inning stringing together one run on one hit to cut into UAB's lead.

Davis stepped up to the plate again in the fourth drawing a walk to leadoff the inning. The redshirt sophomore swiped both second and third over the next two batters where he stood at third with pinch hitter Stephen Dobbs at the plate. Dobbs hit a bloop single to right field scoring Davis and extended UAB's lead to 5-1.

The Green and Gold tacked on two more runs in the sixth inning after Blake Johnson and Dobbs drew leadoff walks and completed a double steal. Tyler Tolbert drew the third base on balls of the inning bringing Price Visintainer up with bases loaded and no outs. Visintainer reached on an error by the catcher scoring Johnson from third and advancing all of the runners 90-feet. Pharis drove in Dobbs from third after he hit a deep sac fly ball to right field giving the Blazers' their sixth run of the game.

The Falcons final run of the game came on one big swing of the bat from catcher Jeff Scott when he homered to left field making the score its final of 6-2.

UAB picked up the sweep on Opening Weekend for the second consecutive season and tallied its 12th first series sweep in program history.

"Last year we swept a really good Creighton, Big East, team on Opening Weekend," Shoop said. "I told out guys after today's game 'Great, enjoy the weekend, pizza is going to taste really good to me tonight, but last we had everyone telling us how great we were after sweeping Creighton and I told them not to make that mistake again.' We are three games down with 53 to go in the fifth best baseball league in the country. We have a lots to work on so it will be a quick enjoyment and then right back to work."

UAB returns to the diamond on Tuesday and Wednesday with a mid-week series against Alabama State. Tuesday night's first pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. from Montgomery, Ala., and then the two teams come back to Regions Field on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m to meet again.

For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).