The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Eastern Ill
Eastern Illinois Defeats UAB Baseball Friday
3/9/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 9, 2001
Eastern Illinois right fielder Ben Duke and designated hitter Bret Pignatiello each drove in three runs and reliever Mike Ziroli was perfect in the final one and two third innings as the Panthers held on to defeat UAB 10-5 Friday afternoon at Young Memorial Field.
The loss snapped UAB's six-game win streak and dropped the Blazers to 9-5 on the season.? Eastern Illinois improved to 2-5.
The Panthers took the lead in the top of the second inning as Pignatiello drove in first baseman Brian Nickell with a single, and then extended the margin to 2-0 in the third as catcher Tim Aurrichio led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by second baseman Josh Landon.
Eastern Illinois threatened to turn the game into a rout in the middle innings, scoring two in the fourth on an RBI single by Aurrichio and four in the fifth, highlighted by Duke's three-run homer to left field off UAB starter Ross Dobbins.
Trailing 8-0, UAB went to work, scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a single by shortstop Mark Garner that scored center fielder Brandon Holmes and second baseman Nick Clark.?
The Blazers added three runs in the seventh as first baseman Chris George slammed a three-run homer to left field off EIU reliever Jared Marshall to make the score 8-5.
George would finish the day with four hits in five at-bats, but was part of a controversial finish to the eighth inning that halted a major UAB scoring threat.
In the bottom of the eighth, catcher Brad Bamberg and Holmes both singled and left fielder Mitch Jones drew a walk, loading the bases with one out.? Eastern Illinois head coach Jim Schmitz brought in right-hander Ziroli to face George.? With a two-ball, two-strike count, the UAB first baseman appeared to have successfully checked his swing, but he was called out on an appeal by first base umpire Kidd McGhee.? Ziroli then retired Blazer right fielder Eric Lyon on a ground out to second base, ending the inning.
Eastern Illinois added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth, as pinch hitter Pete Pirman drove in Landon with a single and Pignatiello drove in Pirman with a double into the right field corner.??
Ziroli retired the Blazers in order in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
UAB starter Dobbins (3-1) worked five complete innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits with one walk and three strikeouts for his first loss of the season.
Eastern Illinois starter Nick Albu (1-0) worked five and two-thirds innings for the victory, allowing two runs on nine hits, with one walk and three strikeouts.? Ziroli earned his second save of the year by retiring all five batters he faced, two by strikeout.
The teams will continue their four-game series with a double-header (two seven-inning games), beginning Saturday at 2:00 pm CST.
