The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
10-23, 0
Western Kentucky University
18-17, 0
UAB Drops Late Inning Rally to WKU in Game One
4/14/2023 11:22:00 PM | Baseball
An early inning pitcher's duel turned into late inning rallies on both sides of the ball. After three scoreless innings, WKU reach home first in the fourth and extended its lead in the fifth before UAB scored in three consecutive innings – sixth, seventh and eighth. The Blazers came from behind and tied the game twice before taking their first lead of the night in the eighth after scoring five runs to enter the ninth up by three. After UAB's rally, the Hilltoppers answered back with four runs during their last at bat. The Blazers had two men on base with two outs but could not capitalize before the final out.
Christian Clack (1-1), who ended on the mound for UAB, received the loss after he allowed the go-ahead run while he faced four batters in the ninth – striking out two. Brooks Walton threw six complete innings and allowed three runs – earned – on 11 hits but was given the no decision. Leo Harris came on in relief for Walton and threw a shutout inning in the seventh. Tyler O'Clair, Thomas Ballard and Jonah Smith all threw for a combined inning while having allowed five runs – all earned – on two hits with four walks.
The Blazers' bats came alive during the latter half of the game while three batters collected a multi-hit game – John Marc Mullins, Tyler Waugh and Brayton Brown. Both Mullins (3-for-5) and Waugh (3-for-5) picked up three singles including Waugh's two-run single to center which scored Gavin Lewis Jr. and Mullins UAB's eighth inning rally. Christian Hall followed Waugh's single with a walk before Brown (2-for-4) hit a three-run home run to left field – his fifth of the season. Logan Braunschweig, Isaiah Mack, Henry Hunter and Lewis Jr. collected the rest of the Blazers' 12 hits.
UP NEXT
UAB and WKU will meet for game two at Young Memorial Field on Saturday, April 15. First pitch is scheduled for 2 P.M.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: BURNS, Mason (3-1)
L: Clack, Christian (1-1)
Batting:
2B: GARCIA, Tristin 2 ; GILROY, Aidan 1
HR: FARRIS, Lukas 1
RBI: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; GARCIA, Tristin 2 ; GILROY, Aidan 2 ; FARRIS, Lukas 3 ; DELANEY, Andrew 1
SH: LIEBERT, Kirk 1 ; JOHNSON, Brayden 1
SF: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; DELANEY, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; RECKART, Drew 1 ; GARCIA, Tristin 2 ; GILROY, Aidan 2 ; MEYER, Matthew 1 ; FARRIS, Lukas 1 ; JOHNSON, Brayden 1
SB: GARCIA, Tristin 1
CS: GILROY, Aidan 1
HBP: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; GILROY, Aidan 1
Batting:
HR: Brown, Brayton 1
RBI: Waugh, Tyler 2 ; Brown, Brayton 4 ; Hunter, Henry 1
SH: Waugh, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mullins, John Marc 2 ; Waugh, Tyler 1 ; Hall, Christian 1 ; Brown, Brayton 2 ; Lewis Jr., Gavin 2
HBP: Mack, Isaiah 1
