The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Eastern Ill
UAB Baseball Defeats Eastern Illinois
3/11/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 11, 2001
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -
Nick Clark, Matt Gaulden and Christian Reimers all homered for UAB as the Blazers defeated Eastern Illinois 12-5 Sunday afternoon at Young Memorial Field.
UAB improved to 12-5 on the season and took three of four games from the Panthers in the weekend series.? Eastern Illinois dropped to 2-8.
Clark started things off for UAB in the bottom of the first inning with a one-out home run to right center field off Eastern Illinois starter Keith Laski.??
The Blazers struck for three more in the bottom of the second, as designated hitter Brandon Isbell led off with a single, shortstop Mark Garner drew a walk, and Reimers cleared the bases with a three-run homer to right field.?
In the third inning Garner drove in Isbell with a double, and Reimers drove in Garner with a single for his fourth RBI of the game.
UAB made the score 7-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning as Gaulden led off with a home run to right center field off EIU reliever Jared Marshall.?
Just when the game appeared to be all but over, Eastern Illinois struck back with five runs in the top of the sixth inning, aided by two UAB errors.?? Shortstop Jesse Niehaus drove in two runs with a single, third baseman Chris Martin and center fielder Bob VanHoorebeck had RBI singles, and first baseman Brian Nickell drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.???
UAB made the score 8-5 in the bottom of the sixth as Isbell drove in Clark with an RBI single.
The Blazers jumped on Ziroli for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, putting the game out of reach.? Isbell drove in two runs with a double to left center that scored catcher Al Hecklinski and right fielder Eric Lyon.? Gaulden followed with an RBI double that scored Isbell.? Ziroli then loaded the bases and allowed a fourth run when he hit Blazer left fielder Mitch Jones with a pitch, scoring Gaulden from third.
UAB starter Joe Yarbrough (2-1) worked five and one-third innings for the victory, allowing four runs on seven hits, with one walk and five strikeouts.? Reliever Blake Allen worked two-thirds of an inning, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout.? Reliever Jeremy Hudson worked the final three innings to earn his second save of the year.? Hudson faced 11 batters, allowing no runs on one hit, with one walk and two strikeouts.?
Eastern Illinois starter Laski (0-1) took the loss, working three and two-thirds innings, allowing six runs on nine hits, with three walks and four strikeouts.
