The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
at Samford
Blazers Fall at Samford, 10-7
4/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 20, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-- Samford scored seven runs in the first three innings and held on to defeat UAB, 10-7, on Wednesday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The Bulldogs avenged a 14-4 loss to UAB on March 30 at Young Memorial Field and improve to 13-23 while the Blazers fall to 23-14, including three consecutive losses. UAB has now allowed at least ten runs in five of its last six games.
Samford's Bill Whitehead picked up his first victory of the season, allowing just one run in 4.1 innings of work out of the bullpen. UAB starter Heath Tapscott falls to 3-2 after allowing seven earned runs in just two innings. Michael Neimkin recorded the final five outs of the game and picked up his fourth save of the season.
The Blazers wasted no time jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Clint Toomey started things off with a single up the middle and J.R. Bond followed with a home run over the center field wall, his second of the season. After Nathan McCorkle singled and Seth Rollin reached on a walk, Phillip Bell brought both runners home with a two-run triple down the right field line.
Samford came back with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning. Bear Burnett lined a two-run double into the left-center field gap, scoring John Morgan and Matt Alling who each reached on walks. Another two-run double by Parker Gargis two batters later tied the game at four.
After plating a run to take the lead in the bottom of the second, the Bulldogs scored twice for a 7-4 advantage in the bottom of the third inning. Trey Moody walked and scored on a Gargis single and Jeff Dils singled and later came around to score on a single by Morgan.
UAB loaded the bases with just one out in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a single and two walks. Bond then hit a high chopper to third base which he beat out, scoring Ben McCullars with the Blazers' fifth run. Cole Helms then brought his team within a run of Samford's lead with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Ryan Metcalf from third.
Samford added to its lead in the bottom of the seventh. A single and two hit batsmen put Bulldog runners at every base with no outs. Daniel Williams then stepped up and reached on an infield single to shortstop which scored Moody and gave the Bulldogs an 8-6 lead. With the bases still loaded and no outs, Justin Worthington singled up the middle, scoring Dils and Gargis and giving Samford two more insurance runs.
The Blazers return to action this weekend when they host Cincinnati for a three-game series at Young Memorial Field. Game one is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m.
