The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
EAST CAROLINA*
UAB Drops Second Straight To East Carolina, 8-6
5/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 14, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-- Seven different East Carolina batters recorded at least one RBI as the Pirates came from behind to defeat UAB by a score of 8-6 on Saturday afternoon at Young Memorial Field. East Carolina is now 31-20 overall on the season and 15-11 in Conference USA. UAB has now lost three straight, falling to 30-22 overall, 13-13 in league play.
Mike Flye (6-3) came in out of the bullpen and pitched the final six innings without allowing an earned run and picked up the victory for East Carolina while Jeff Brown (7-3) suffered his first defeat since April 3rd at Tulane. Brown pitched just 5.2 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and six walks.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, UAB sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs. Clint Toomey led off with a single up the middle and Dan Stucky followed with a base on balls. Zac Ward then tied the game as he ripped a 3-2 pitch through the left side of the infield which brought Toomey around from second. After a Nathan McCorkle single loaded the bases, Cole Helms hit a high chopper to third base which no one could make a play on and scoring Stucky to give UAB the lead. After Ward scored when Seth Rollin grounded into a double play, J.R. Bond came through with a two-out RBI triple, the first of his career.
After a Brian Cavanaugh homer in the top of the third brought the Pirates within two runs of UAB's lead, East Carolina pulled even in the top of the fourth. Drew Costanzo drew a leadoff walk then scored when Ryan Peisel tripled off the center field wall. The Pirates tied the game when Mark Minicozzi followed with an RBI groundout to Ward at third base.
The Pirates took a 6-4 lead with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Mincozzi singled leading off the inning and Harrison Eldridge followed with a single to right. After Brown retired the next two batters, Dale Mollenhauer lined a two-run double down the left field line, scoring both runners and giving East Carolina its first lead since the top of the first.
A sacrifice fly to left-center by Toomey in the bottom of the sixth scored Bond and brought the Blazers back within a run at 6-5.
The Pirates added two more runs in the top of the seventh. Peisel singled to right then scored when Eldridge tripled down the right field line. East Carolina added another run when they executed a perfect suicide squeeze as Eldridge came flying down the third base line and Billy Richardson got down the bunt.
The Blazers wrap up their series with East Carolina on Sunday at 12 p.m. The game was originally scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. but was moved due to the Pirates' travel schedule.
