The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Memphis
Baseball Falls To Memphis Saturday
4/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 20, 2002
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Paul Reuer's three-run pinch-hit home run capped a five-run
Memphis sixth inning as the Tigers overcame a 5-1 UAB lead and went on to
defeat the Blazers 15-10 in Conference USA baseball action Saturday afternoon
at Nat Buring Stadium.
UAB (12-26, 4-13 C-USA) took
a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI groundout by right fielder Eric
Lyon and an RBI single by designated
hitter Kyle Leon.
Memphis (14-21, 7-10? C-USA) scored a run in the bottom of
the second on an RBI sacrifice fly by left fielder Ryan Martin that scored catcher Barrett Smith.
UAB stretched its lead to
5-1 in the third inning, as Lyon and Leon again drove in runs and Lyon scored
on an error by Memphis' Smith on a double-steal attempt.
Memphis closed the gap to
5-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning as Martin led of with a single, stole
second and wound up scoring on throwing errors by UAB catcher Brad Bamberg and center fielder Chad House.?
Shortstop Ryan Leach
reached on an infield single, stole second and moved to third on a second
throwing error by Bamberg, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by second baseman
Chris Godwin.
The Tigers pulled to within
one run in the fifth, scoring on an RBI double by Leach that drove in Martin,
making the score 5-4.
In the sixth, Payne tied the
game with an RBI single off reliever Andre Parks. After left-hander Michael Stallings replaced Parks on the mound for the Blazers, Smith
drove in the go-ahead run with a double and Reuer, pinch hitting for designated
hitter Jay Fik, broke the game
open with a three-run shot to right center that gave the Tigers a 10-5 lead.
Memphis added one run in the
seventh and four more in the eighth - highlighted by a three-RBI triple
by center fielder Paul Cookman,
and led 15-6 entering the top of the ninth inning.
UAB, which had scored a
sixth run in the eighth on a solo home run by second baseman Seth Rollin, scored four times in the ninth on four hits, taking
advantage of two Tiger errors.?
Rollin narrowly missed hitting a grand slam in his final at-bat of the
game, slamming a drive just outside the left field foul screen, and was retired
on a foul out to third base.
Two of the Blazers'
runs in the inning were driven in by Friday's starting pitcher, senior
left-hander Joe Yarbrough, who
pinch hit with two out and slapped a single through the right side for his
first career hit.
UAB's Parks (2-8) was
the losing pitcher, allowing four runs on two hits in one and 2/3 innings, with
four walks and three strikeouts.
Memphis reliever Michael
Novarese (4-3) was the winner,
working three and 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on four hits, with one walk
and three strikeouts.
UAB and Memphis will play
the final game of their weekend series Sunday at 1:00 pm CDT.
