The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
at South Florida*
Baseball Team Loses A Heartbreaker To South Florida
3/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 2003
TAMPA, Fla. - With the score tied at three in the bottom of the ninth inning, second baseman Mike Choquette hit a three-run homer to left field to lift South Florida (15-7, 3-0 Conference USA) to a 6-3 victory over No. 27 UAB (17-5, 2-2 C-USA) in Conference USA baseball action Friday evening at Red McEwen Field.
South Florida struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Shortstop Myron Leslie scored on a fielding error by UAB right fielder Kyle Leon's play of third baseman Jeff Baisley's double to right field. USF led 1-0.
UAB took the lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run homer to left field by Leon. The Blazers led 2-1.
Leon put the Blazers up 3-1 in the top of the eighth inning with his second home run of the night, a solo shot to center field.
The Bulls first run of the ninth inning came when designated hitter Scott Rachlin singled up the middle, scoring Baisley. Catcher Devin Ivany then scored on a balk by Blazer reliever Kevin Brannon.
Tim Mattison (1-1) picked up the win for South Florida after coming on in relief of starter Travis Rios. Mattison worked three innings for the Bulls and allowed on run on three hits, no walks and had three strikeouts. Rios pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out 10.
Blazer reliever Jeff Brown (2-1) took the loss for UAB after coming on in relief of starter Lucas Trotter. Brown allowed one run on one hit. Trotter worked eight innings and allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on six hits. He walked two and struck out nine. Kevin Brannon pitcher a third of an inning for UAB and allowed two runs on two hits. He walked one and struck out one.
"It was a tough loss tonight," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "I thought Lucas (Trotter) really had them struggling tonight. We brought him out in the ninth because his pitch count was low and he gave up two hits, so we went to the bullpen and things just started to unravel from there. I thought Kyle Leon, who had been struggling a little bit in our last game, came on tonight and gave us two huge at bats."
UAB and South Florida will meet at 1 p.m. (ET) Saturday in the second of the three-game series. The game will air live on Fox Sports Net Florida. Satellite coordinates for the game are AMC6k Tans. 22.
