The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Memphis (C-USA Tournament)
UAB Defeats Memphis, 7-6
5/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 27, 2004
HOUSTON, Texas - Memphis reliever Bill Edwards' wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed Josh Miljavac to score the go-ahead run and give seventh-seeded UAB a 7-6 win over No. 6-seed Memphis in second round play of the Conference USA Baseball Tournament.
UAB now advances to the semi-final round of the tournament and will meet the winner of the Memphis-Southern Miss elimination game Saturday at 9 a.m.
The Blazers began the ninth inning down 6-4. Left fielder Jeremy Moran singled through the right side to start the inning. After running a 1-1 count on second baseman Seth Rollin, Memphis starter Derek Hankins gave way to Edwards. Edwards struck out Rollin, but then walked third baseman Zac Ward. Center fielder Levi Patmon then popped up to second base for the Blazers' second out of the inning. J.R. Bond then came on to pinch run for Ward. Shortstop Josh Miljavac followed with a single through the right side that scored Moran. Catcher Eugene Rodriguez then tied the game with a single to right field that scored Bond and advanced Miljavac to third. Edwards' errant throw then allowed Miljavac to score the game-winning run.
Eric Roberts (5-3) got the win for UAB (30-27) after coming on in relief of Blazer starter Adam Price in the top of the seventh inning. Roberts worked the final three innings for the Blazers and did not allow a run or a walk. He gave up three hits and struck out three.
Price worked six innings and allowed six runs, five of which were earned, on nine hits. He walked two and struck out three.
"They (Memphis) were trying to pitch inside and the ball just got away," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "Sometimes that happens to pitchers.
"I'm real proud of our guys. (Derek) Hankins really froze us a lot of times. We battled and hung in there just enough. We got a great pitching performance out of Adam (Price). Eric (Roberts) came in and did a good job. It's a great win for UAB."
Edwards (3-5) took the loss for Memphis (29-27) after pitching two-thirds of an inning and giving up two runs on two hits. He walked one and struck out one.
Hankins worked eight innings and allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on eight hits. He walked two and struck out nine.
UAB will be making its third appearance in the semi-final game of the Conference USA Tournament since joining the league during the 1995-96 season. The Blazers made appearances in the semi-final game in 2000 and 1997.
The Blazers have now won 11 of their last 14 road contests, including nine of 11 against C-USA opponents on the road. UAB has also won six of its last eight games overall.
Memphis struck first in the top of the first inning. Designated hitter Ryan Martin singled to right field, allowing left fielder Chad House to score the Tigers' first run of the inning. First baseman Kyle Scott followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that brought in third baseman Bill Moss. Memphis led 2-0.
UAB tied the score in the bottom of the first. First baseman Daniel Hill doubled to center field, allowing Miljavac to score the Blazers' first run of the inning. Right fielder Cole Helms later singled through the left side, scoring Rodriguez.
The Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the top of the second inning when House doubled through the left side, scoring second baseman Michael Lewis.
Memphis added a run in the top of the fifth inning when shortstop Brent Dlugach doubled through the left side, scoring Moss. The Tigers led 4-2.
UAB answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth when Rodriguez doubled to center field, scoring Patmon.
The Tigers took a 6-3 lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run home run to left center field by Lewis.
The Blazers plated a run in the bottom of the sixth when Rollin singled down the left field line, scoring Helms.
Memphis will square off against third-seeded and 23rd-ranked Southern Miss (40-16) Friday at 3 p.m.
UAB will meet the winner of that contest Saturday at 9 a.m.
UAB's semi-final game will be broadcast live via the world wide web on the Blazers' official athletics website, www.uabsports.com. Air time is approximately 8:45 a.m.
For those who are not Yahoo! subscribers, a monthly subscription can be purchased for $4.95 per month. 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.
The tournament continues Friday and runs through Sunday at Cougar Field on the University of Houston campus.
The championship game will be at 1 p.m. Sunday and will be televised by affiliates of the Conference USA Television Network and CSTV: College Sports Television. Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast will carry the telecast live.
The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
