The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
at Saint Louis*
Blazers Split Doubleheader With Saint Louis
3/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 27, 2004
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - UAB split a doubleheader with Saint Louis, winning game two 6-5 and losing the first contest 8-6 in Conference USA baseball action Saturday afternoon at the Billiken Sports Center.
Billiken reliever Joe Buehler's wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning allowed third baseman Zac Ward to score the go-ahead run from third base and lift UAB (14-8, 2-3 C-USA) to victory in game two.
Cole Helms (1-0) picked up the win for UAB after coming on in relief of Blazer starter Jacob Legg in the bottom of the sixth inning. Helms pitched three and two-thirds shut-out innings and allowed only two hits. He walked two and struck out a UAB career-high seven batters.
Helms retired the Billikens in order in the bottom of the ninth inning, recording two strikeouts.
Legg worked five and one-third innings and gave up five runs, four of which were earned, on three hits. He walked four and struck out two.
Kris Weber (0-2) took the loss for Saint Louis (7-16, 1-4 C-USA) after coming on in relief of Billiken starter Dave Guntorius in the top of the ninth inning. Weber pitched a third of the ninth and gave up one run. Guntorius worked eight innings and allowed five runs, only two of which were earned, on nine hits. He walked two and struck out four.
The Blazers posted nine hits and committed one error while Saint Louis had five hits and four errors. UAB and Saint Louis both left six runners on base.
UAB took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Ward tripled to right field, allowing catcher Eugene Rodriguez and right fielder Jeremy Moran to score the Blazers' first runs of the inning. Ward was then able to score from third base on center fielder Sam Clark's infield single.
The Blazers got out to a 5-0 advantage in the top of the fifth inning when shortstop Dan Stucky singled through the right side, scoring Ward and second baseman Josh Miljavac.
Saint Louis answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. First baseman Drew Eder's sacrifice fly to left field allowed second baseman Aaron Thompson to score the Billikens' first run of the inning. Center fielder Kyle Wort followed with a single through the right side that scored left fielder Michael Crane.
The Billikens tied the score in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Legg walked Thompson, allowing shortstop Pat Steinhoff to score Saint Louis' first run of the inning. Later in the inning, Eder doubled to left field, scoring Peden and right fielder Jon Greenwich.
Saint Louis pushed across three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 7-6 lead and added an insurance run in the eighth to claim a victory over UAB in game one.
Thompson's two-RBI single to center field allowed Steinhoff and Peden to score the Billikens' first runs of the seventh inning. Eder later singled to center field, scoring Greenwich.
Saint Louis' insurance run in the eighth inning came when Greenwich doubled to left field, scoring designated hitter Patrick Valdez.
Adam Price (2-4) took the loss for UAB after coming on in relief of Zarbough in the bottom of the fourth inning. Price worked two and one-third innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. Zarbough pitched three and two-thirds innings and gave up three runs on one hit, walked six and struck out three.
Billiken reliever Pat Burtch (1-0) picked up the win for Saint Louis after working three shut-out innings and allowing only one hit. He walked two and struck out two. Landy pitched three innings and gave up six runs, five of which were earned, on nine hits and walked one.
UAB took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Miljavac scored UAB's first run on a fielding error by Greenwich. Clark later scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by first baseman Daniel Hill.
Saint Louis got a run in the bottom of the third inning when Valdez grounded out to shortstop, allowing catcher Eric Mueller to score from third base.
The Blazers got out to a 6-1 advantage in the top of the fourth inning. Ward scored UAB's first run of the inning from third base when, with the bases loaded, Landy hit Clark. Hill followed with a two-RBI single to right field that brought in Moran and Miljavac. Designated hitter Nathan McCorkle's infield hit then brought in Clark.
Saint Louis answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Eder singled through the left side, allowing Thompson to score the Billikens' first run of the inning. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Zarbough walked left fielder Johnny Sweeney, bringing in Crane from third base.
The Billikens cut the Blazer lead to two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Thompson grounded out to second base, allowing Steinhoff to score from third.
UAB had 13 hits without an error in the first contest while Saint Louis posted 11 hits and committed three errors. UAB left 12 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded twice, while Saint Louis left nine on.
"We got off to a good start today and then after that it was a dog fight," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "We just couldn't get anybody out. We kept leaving the door open for them (Saint Louis) in the first game. We didn't extend the lead when we had chances and that really hurt us. Sometimes when you don't cash in on opportunities it comes back to haunt you later on in the game.
"When Cole (Helms) went out in the ninth after we had gone ahead in the second game, he really did a good job. Zac (Ward) always seems to come up with a big hit when we need it and Dan (Stucky) had a good ballgame. It all boils down to tomorrow to win the series."
UAB and Saint Louis will play the final game of the three-game set Sunday at 1 p.m.
Friday's game was canceled due to rain.
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