The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
SOUTHERN MISS*
Blazers Split Doubleheader With No. 12 Southern Miss
5/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 1, 2004
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB split a doubleheader with 12th-ranked Southern Miss, winning game one 14-5 and losing the second contest 7-6 in Conference USA baseball action Saturday afternoon at Young Memorial Field.
Center fielder Jason Lowrey singled through the left side, allowing left fielder Carlos Velasquez to score the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning to give Southern Miss (32-12, 13-7 C-USA) the victory in game two.
Blazer reliever Cole Helms (2-2) took the loss for UAB (21-21, 8-11 C-USA) after pitching the final two innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Smith (1-1) picked up the win for Southern Miss after coming on in relief of Golden Eagle starter Patrick Ezell in the bottom of the sixth inning. Smith allowed one run, which was unearned, on three hits. Ezell worked five innings and gave up five runs, four of which were earned, on 10 hits. He walked one and struck out six.
Austin Tubb came on in relief of Smith in the bottom of the eighth inning and allowed only one hit in recording his sixth save of the season. Tubb had one strikeout.
The loss snapped a six-game C-USA winning streak for UAB.
UAB took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a solo home run to right center field by first baseman Daniel Hill.
Southern Miss answered with two runs in the top of the second inning on a two-run home run to right center field by Lowery. USM led 2-1.
The Golden Eagles posted three runs in the top of the third inning. Second baseman Jarrett Hoffpauir's sacrifice fly to center field allowed shortstop Jeff Shepherd to score USM's first run of the inning. Velasquez later singled to left field, scoring first baseman Marc Maddox. Right fielder Ryan Frith then doubled to center field, scoring designated hitter Brad Willcutt. Southern Miss led 5-1.
UAB answered with two runs in the bottom of the third on a two-run homer to right center field by designated hitter Nathan McCorkle.
Southern Miss added a run in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run to right center field by catcher Kevin Coker. USM led 6-3.
The Blazers cut the deficit to two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when left fielder Jeremy Moran singled up the middle, scoring McCorkle.
UAB tied the score in the bottom of the sixth inning. With runners on first and second, shortstop Josh Miljavac laid down a bunt, attempting to advance the runners. Golden Eagle reliever Adam Smith overthrew third base on the play, allowing third baseman Zac Ward and center fielder Sam Clark to score.
UAB posted a five-run third inning and a seven-run eighth to help lift the Blazers to a victory in game one.
Blazer starter Adam Price (4-5) picked up the win for UAB after tossing the first complete game of his Blazer career. He allowed five runs on 13 hits, walked three and struck out four.
Golden Eagle starter Daniel Best (3-3) took the loss for Southern Miss after working six innings and allowing seven runs on 10 hits. He walked one and struck out four.
Southern Miss took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Third baseman Beau Griffin doubled to right field, allowing Maddox to score the Golden Eagles' first run of the inning. Later in the inning, Hoffpauir singled to left center field, scoring Griffin.
UAB answered with five runs in the bottom of the third off three consecutive home runs. With two outs in the inning, catcher Eugene Rodriguez started the Blazer scoring with a three-run homer to right field. Hill followed with a homer to right center field. McCorkle then homered to right field. UAB led 5-2.
The Blazers added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Clark singled to left field, scoring Moran. UAB led 6-2.
Southern Miss posted three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Hoffpauir singled up the middle, allowing Maddox and Griffin to score the Golden Eagles' first runs of the inning. Later in the inning, Velasquez singled through the left side, scoring Hoffpauir.
UAB took a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run to center field by Moran.
The Blazers posted seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning after batting around. Second baseman Seth Rollin doubled to left field, allowing Helms to score the Blazers' first run of the inning. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Golden Eagle reliever Nathan Sanders walked Miljavac, allowing Rollin to score from third. Rodriguez then collected his fifth RBI of the contest with a two-RBI double to right center field that scored Ward and Clark. Hill followed with a single up the middle, scoring Miljavac. Helms later singled up the middle, scoring Rodriguez and Hill.
The three-game series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
Sunday's game will be broadcast live via the world wide web on the Blazers' official athletics website, www.uabsports.com. For those who are not Yahoo! subscribers, a monthly subscription can be purchased for $4.95 per month and a season-long subscription may be purchased for $14.95. To listen to the broadcast, click on either "UAB Audio Broadcasts" or "Multimedia" from the UAB athletics website's main page and follow the links.
