The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulane
Baseball Rallies To Defeat Tulane Sunday
4/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 14, 2002
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB turned the tables on
Tulane with a seven-run fifth inning en route to an 8-7 victory over the Green
Wave in Conference USA baseball action Sunday at Young Memorial Field.
The Blazers (10-25, 2-13
C-USA) were the victims of a five-run eighth inning in Friday's 15-7 loss
and a seven-run eighth in Saturday's 16-1 defeat at the hands of the
Green Wave (20-18, 7-8 C-USA).
UAB trailed 5-1 entering the
bottom of the fifth in Sunday's game, but was able to take advantage of
some remarkable generosity by Tulane pitchers and finally got the clutch hits
with runners on base that they had been unable to get on Friday and Saturday.
In the fifth, shortstop Mark
Garner singled with one out, and
moved to second and then third as right fielder Jeremy Moran and catcher Brad Bamberg each drew walks from Tulane starter Beau
Richardson.?
After Richardson went to a
two balls, no strikes count on UAB center fielder Chad House, he was replaced by left-hander Kelly Comarda, who completed the walk to House, scoring Garner.
Cormada then struck out first baseman Matt Womble for the second out, but walked pinch-hitter Eric
Lyon to bring in a second run and
leave the bases loaded.
Cormada gave way to
right-hander Ricky Fairchild. The
next batter, designated hitter Kyle Leon, slapped a two-run double past a diving Green Wave third baseman Brooks
Shankle and into the left field
corner to tie the game at 5-5.?
Third baseman Matt Gaulden
then stepped in and hit a three-run homer to right field to give UAB an 8-5
lead.
Tulane rallied for two runs
in the eighth inning, as shortstop Tommy Manzella hit a one-out double off UAB reliever Cody Cillo and then scored on center fielder Jon
Kaplan's two-run homer to
right.?
It was the second home run
of the afternoon for Kaplan, who also hit a solo shot in the fourth inning, and
his third of the weekend series.
The Green Wave threatened
one final time in the top of the ninth.
First baseman Michael Aubrey led off with a single, but was erased as the next
batter, designated hitter Anthony Giarratano, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.? The next three batters, right fielder Gerald
Clark, catcher Brian Bormaster, and second baseman Turner Brumby, all reached on singles - Clark and Brumby
on? infield hits -- loading the
bases.?
Cillo then retired Manzella
on a groundout to second base to end the game.
Cillo worked four complete
innings to earn his third save of the season, allowing two runs on six hits,
with one walk and two strikeouts.?
Reliever Andre Parks (2-7) worked the fifth inning to get the win,
retiring three of the four batters he faced and allowing no runs or hits.
Tulane's Comarda
(1-3) took the loss, working one third of an inning, allowing two runs on no
hits, with two walks and one strikeout.
