The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
TULANE*
Blazers Upset No. 7 Tulane 6-5 To Win Series
4/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2004
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Catcher Eugene Rodriguez's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted UAB to a 6-5 victory over No. 7 Tulane in Conference USA baseball action Sunday afternoon at Young Memorial Field. With the win, the Blazers claimed two games out of the three-game set with the Green Wave as UAB won the Saturday contest 11-3.
The score was tied at five with one out when Rodriguez sent the ball over the right center field wall.
Blazer reliever Cole Helms (2-1) picked up the win for UAB (16-19, 4-10 C-USA) after working the final two-thirds of an inning. Helms came on in the top of the ninth with runners on first and third and one out and was able to retire the next two batters, including a strikeout of one of the Green Wave's top hitters and Preseason All-C-USA selection, Brian Bogusevic.
"Eugene (Rodriguez) really stayed on that pitch and drove it to the opposite gap and it was hit to one of the deepest parts of the park," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "We had a lot of big plays. Daniel Hill's home run was big. Cole Helms came on and pitched well for us. We did a lot of good things today. We used a lot of personnel. There were a lot of things that I thought we did well over the course of the game to keep us in the game."
Blazer starter Adam Price pitched five innings and allowed four runs, only two of which were earned, on seven hits. He walked three and struck out two.
Bogusevic (5-3) took the loss for Tulane (26-12, 10-5 C-USA) after coming on in relief of Green Wave starter Cory Hahn in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bogusevic worked five innings and allowed two runs on six hits, walked two and struck out four.
Tulane struck first in the top of the first inning when first baseman Brian Bormaster singled through the left side, scoring second baseman Joe Holland.
UAB answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. Rodriguez singled to center field, allowing shortstop Josh Miljavac and first baseman Daniel Hill to score the Blazers' first runs of the inning. Helms, who was playing right field, later scored on a wild pitch by Hahn. The Blazers led 3-1.
Tulane cut the deficit to one in the top of the second inning when third baseman Tim Guidry homered to right field.
The Green wave tied the score in the top of the third inning when left fielder Matt Barket singled through the left side, scoring Holland.
UAB regained the lead in the bottom of the third when Hill homered to left field. The Blazers led 4-3.
Tulane again tied the score in the top of the fourth inning when Guidry grounded out to shortstop, allowing designated hitter Wes Swackhamer to score from third base.
The Blazers once again regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on designated hitter Nathan McCorkle's infield single that brought in center fielder Sam Clark.
The Green Wave tied the score in the top of the eighth on a solo home run to right field by Swackhamer.
The series win was UAB's first over the Green Wave in nine tries.
UAB returns home to Young Memorial Field Tuesday to take on in-state foe Alabama State at 7 p.m.
