The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Southern Miss (C-USA Tournament)
Southern Miss Defeats UAB, 9-7
5/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 29, 2004
HOUSTON, Texas - Center fielder Jason Lowery's grand slam home run helped propel Southern Miss to a six-run third inning and a 9-7 victory over seventh-seeded UAB in semi-final action at the Conference USA Baseball Tournament at Cougar Field on the University of Houston campus.
Third-seeded and 23rd-ranked Southern Miss (44-16) now advances to Sunday's Conference USA Championship game, which will be played at 1 p.m.
Blazer starter Adam Price (6-6) took the loss for UAB (30-29) after working eight innings and allowing nine runs on 11 hits. He walked one and struck out six.
Adam Smith (3-2) picked up the win for Southern Miss after coming on in relief of Golden Eagle starter Nick Valluzzo in the bottom of the third inning. Smith pitched four and two-thirds innings and gave up three runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Valluzzo pitched two and one-thirds innings and gave up four runs, three of which were earned, on two hits. He walked three and struck out three.
UAB left nine runners on base to Southern Miss' five.
"There were a lot of missed opportunities today," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "I'm real proud of Adam Price. I thought he battled hard for us. We had the one bad inning, but I'm proud of the way he (Adam) battled. They (Southern Miss) really swing the bat really well. I give them and their pitching staff a lot of credit."
UAB struck first in the bottom of the first inning on designated hitter Nathan McCorkle's sacrifice fly to right field that brought in shortstop Josh Miljavac. UAB led 1-0.
Southern Miss later posted the six-run third inning to take lead. With two outs in the inning, first baseman Marc Maddox hit a solo home run to right field. Right fielder Ryan Frith later singled to right center field, scoring second baseman Jarrett Hoffpauir. Later in the inning, Lowery hit a grand slam home run to left field. Southern Miss led 6-1.
First baseman Daniel Hill answered for the Blazers in the bottom of the third with a three-run homer to right field.
UAB plated another run in the bottom of the fourth inning when center fielder Levi Patmon singled to right center field, scoring third baseman Zac Ward.
The Golden Eagles added a run in the top of the fifth inning on Hoffpauir's solo home run to left field. Southern Miss led 7-5.
Southern Miss plated two more runs in the top of the sixth inning when Maddox doubled down the left field line, scoring Nathan Sanders, who had pinch hit for designated hitter Jody Blount, and shortstop Matt Shepherd. The Golden Eagles led 9-5.
UAB got a run in the bottom of the seventh inning when with the bases loaded, right fielder Cole Helms grounded into a double play, allowing catcher Eugene Rodriguez to score from third base.
The Blazers added a run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a solo home run to left field by second baseman Seth Rollin.
UAB posted its second straight winning season in 2004. The Blazers' 30 wins this season were the most since the 1997 season.
