The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
ALABAMA
Blazers Take Down Alabama, 7-1
2/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 24, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team ended a six-game losing streak to Alabama with a 7-1 victory on Thursday evening at Young Memorial Field. In a game that took two days to complete, the Blazers (4-0) took advantage of timely hitting and outstanding pitching performances by Randy Mills and Ryan Huffman to knock off the Crimson Tide (5-3) for the first time since April 11, 2001.
Mills looked sharp in his debut as a Blazer. He went 4.2 innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out five Crimson Tide batters. Mills began Wednesday's game then came back on Thursday and picked up where he left off after inclement weather caused the game to be postponed.
Huffman entered the game in relief of Mills in the top of the fifth and allowed just two hits and no runs in 3.1 innings to pick up his first victory of the season. Sophomore third baseman Zac Ward led the UAB offensive attack with a 2-for-5 night at the plate with two runs batted in.
"Ryan is a veteran who knows how to handle himself and he made pitches when he had to make them," said head coach Larry Giangrosso. "Thats what we expect of him. I thought we were just one or two big hits away from breaking the game open, but I was proud of the way our players responded after the game was postponed last night. It was tough night to play tonight with the cold and the wind blowing the way it was. Its always nice to get a win against Alabama."
UAB jumped out on top with a run in the bottom of the first inning on Wednesday. With rain pouring down, freshman centerfielder Clint Toomey led the inning off by bouncing a ball down the left field line for a single. Dan Stucky followed with a double into the left-center field gap, then a ground ball to third off the bat of Ward brought Toomey home with the game's first run.
As the rain continued to intensify, lightning and thunder also came into the area and the umpires suspended the game until Thursday.
When the game resumed, UAB extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second, thanks in part to two Alabama errors. The Blazers then added another run in the bottom of the fourth. Seth Rollin led the inning off with a double to the right-center field gap and moved to third on a single to short left field by J.R. Bond. After Alabama starting pitcher Casey Kebedeaux picked Bond off of first base, he allowed Rollin to score on a balk.
Alabama got on the board with a two-out rally in the top of the fifth inning. Mills retired the first two Crimson Tide batters, but three consecutive singles by Allen Rice, Zac Welch and Brandon Belcher cut UAB's lead to three runs. But after a Blazer pitching change, catcher Rush Knight gunned down Belcher trying to steal second to end the scoring threat.
The Blazers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth. Toomey drew a leadoff walk and Stucky and Ward followed with solid singles. After Toomey was forced at the plate on a fielder's choice by Nathan McCorkle, Cole Helms drew a walk which scored Stucky and forced Alabama reliever Trey Shields from the game.
Helms added an insurance run for UAB in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out home run over the left field wall. It was Helms' first of the season and gave the Blazers a 6-1 advantage.
The Blazers return to action Friday when they welcome Ball State to town for a three-game series at Young Memorial Field. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6:oo pm.
