The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
TCU
Baseball Loses A Wild One To TCU Saturday
5/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 4, 2002
FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU scored 11 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to apparently break open a 2-1 game, but the Horned Frogs had to hold on as UAB scored seven times in the final two innings and had the bases loaded when the final out was recorded in a 13-8 TCU victory Saturday afternoon at TCU Diamond.
TCU (24-24, 15-8 C-USA) put up a season-high 11 runs on nine hits in the bottom of the seventh off four UAB pitchers, and held a 13-1 lead going to the top of the eighth inning.
The big Horned Frog inning was highlighted by a three-run double by catcher Justin Hatcher and a two-run homer by first baseman Walter Olmstead.
UAB (14-32, 6-17 C-USA) battled back with two runs in the eighth as first baseman Matt Womble drove in center fielder Mitch Jones with a triple to right center field, and right fielder Eric Lyon brought Womble home with a single to center field.
After reliever Ryan Huffman retired the Horned Frogs in order in the bottom of the eighth inning, UAB picked up where it left off, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring five runs.
Designated hitter Joe Yarbrough drove in a run with an RBI double to right center that scored second baseman Seth Rollin, Womble drove in Yarbrough from third with a sacrifice fly, and Lyon drove in shortstop Mark Garner with a single to right field.
With the bases loaded and two out, third baseman Matt Gaulden slapped an infield single deep into the hole at shortstop, allowing Jones to score from third, and Lyon later scored on an RBI single through the left side by Rollin.
That brought Yarbrough back to the plate with the bases loaded and on-deck hitter Garner representing the tying run.
After Yarbrough fouled off two pitches and took one ball, TCU reliever Josh Gardner was able to retire him on a called third strike to end the game. Gardner faced only the one batter and earned his first save of the season.
The game was a very even battle for six innings. UAB starter Tony Falls (3-3) allowed two runs on three hits over the six innings, but ran into trouble in the seventh, giving up three runs on three hits in the inning without retiring a batter. Falls gave way to left-hander Jon Burgett, who allowed a single to the only batter he faced, TCU left fielder Chris Meeks.
Burgett was replaced by right-hander Ross Dobbins, who was also unable to stop the bleeding, allowing five runs on three hits and retiring one batter before being replaced by right-hander Huffman.
Huffman worked the final one and 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout.
TCU starter Clayton Jerome (8-3) was the winning pitcher, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven complete innings of work.
UAB's Womble went three-for-four in the game with two doubles, a triple, and two RBI. Lyon also had three hits and two RBI for the day.
UAB and TCU are scheduled to complete their three-game Conference USA series Sunday, with first pitch set for 1:05 pm CDT.
The Blazers' projected starting pitcher is freshman right-hander Jeff Brown (1-1, 4.19). TCU is scheduled to start senior left-hander Kyle Shoemaker (5-4, 4.96).
