The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
at Tulane*
Baseball Team Falls To No. 25 Tulane
4/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. - No. 25 Tulane (27-12, 10-6 Conference USA) pounded out 13 hits en route to an 11-8 victory over UAB in Conference USA baseball action Friday evening at Turchin Stadium.
Tulane took a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Center fielder Jonny Kaplan led off the inning with a home run to left center field. Later in the inning, left fielder Wes Swackhamer cleared the bases with a grand slam over the right center field wall.
The Green Wave added two runs in the top of the second inning. With runners on second and third, first baseman Michael Aubrey grounded out to second base, allowing Kaplan to score. Tulane's final run of the inning came when shortstop Tony Giarratano scored on a wild pitch by Blazer reliever Lyle Northington.
UAB (21-15, 6-9) answered with four runs in the top of the third inning. First baseman Daniel Hill started off the scoring for the Blazers with a single to right field that scored shortstop Josh Miljavac and left fielder Mitch Jones. Third baseman Drew Connell followed with a singled to left center field that scored right fielder Kyle Leon. Hill also scored on the play on a fielding error by Kaplan.
Tulane added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning on Aubrey's sacrifice fly to left field that allowed Kaplan to score his third run of the game. The Green Wave led 8-4.
The Blazers cut the lead to 8-6 on Hill's two-run homer to left field in the top of the fifth inning.
The Green Wave answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Catcher Brian Bormaster reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Swackhamer to score.
UAB again cut into the Green Wave lead in the top of the seventh inning when Connell reached on a fielder's choice, allowing second baseman Drew Goneke to score. Tulane led 9-7.
Tulane again answered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Swackhamer reached first base on a throwing error by Connell that allowed right fielder Nathan Southard to score the Green Wave's first run of the inning. Later in the inning, third baseman Tim Guidry's sacrifice fly to center field allowed Swackhamer to score his third run of the game.
The Blazers' final run of the game came in the top of the eighth inning on left fielder Mitch Jones' third hit of the game, a single through the left side that scored catcher Eugene Rodriguez.
Green Wave reliever Billy Mohl (4-1) picked up the win for Tulane after coming on in relief of starter Brian Bogusevic in the fifth inning. Mohl worked three innings and gave up two runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out three. Bogusevic pitched four innings and allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on five hits. He walked three and struck out two.
Blazer starter Lucas Trotter (3-2) took the loss for UAB after pitching an inning and allowing seven runs, six of which were earned on six hits, no walks and one strikeout. Lyle Northington came on in relief of Trotter in the second inning, worked an inning and gave up a walk. Jeff Brown pitched six innings in relief of Northington and gave up four runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits. He walked four and struck out two.
"This was the first time Lucas (Trotter) didn't have a good outing," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "He just wasn't sharp. They (Tulane) did a good job early in the game of taking him the other way, of fighting off his best pitches and putting his best pitches in play. I thought Jeff Brown came on and gave us a chance to win. We didn't play very good defense behind him and had some mistakes that were very costly. I'm proud of our guys for coming back after being down 5-0. We come back and get right back in the game. When we would come back, we never seemed to be able to come back and shut them out."
UAB and Tulane will meet in game two of the three-game set Saturday at 2 p.m.
