The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Open Season On a Winning Note
2/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Mother Nature and the rain may have held off Friday night, but the UAB bats made sure to pour it on in their first contest of the season, banging out 11 hits en route to a 10-4 victory at Young Memorial Field.
This win puts UAB at 1-0 on the young season, as the Blazers will face Ball State tomorrow at 2 p.m. for game two of their three game series.
The Blazers' Hartselle High School duo of Heath Tapscott and Zac Ward led the way, as the two provided damage from the mound and the batter's box for Larry Giangrosso's squad.
Tapscott did not disappoint in the first start of the season. Tapscott faced little resistance to earn the victory, cruising through six innings and striking out three batters. Ward's bat anchored the UAB attack, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Billy Lichtner, Danny Sawyer and John Wayne Donahue also had two hits in the opener.
After Tapscott retired Ball State in the top of the 1st, UAB wasted no time putting runs on the board. After walks by Jorge Gutierrez and J.R. Bond, Ward sent a shot down the right field line, scoring both runners and giving UAB its first lead of the night. That proved to more than enough for Tapscott, who allowed his only run of the contest in the 3rd inning. After that, he found a groove that saw him limit a potent Ball State offense and kept them at bay all night.
His teammates widened the margin for him in the sixth, plating four runs to stretch the lead to 6-1. Bond ingnited the rally, and was scored on an RBI single off the bat of Sawyer. Ward continued his big hitting, singling home Sawyer for another Blazer run. Lichtner then followed with an RBI single of his own, pushing the lead to four at 5-1. Steven Turner than crossed home on a passed ball, tallying the fourth and final run of the inning.
Ball State closed the gap to four in the top of the 7th, but a late scoring surge by UAB put the game out of reach. Ward again led the charge, singling home Levi Patmon for his fourth RBI of the contest. Donahue followed suit, doubling deep to left center to bring home the final two runs of the evening.
Jacob Legg pitched a scoreless ninth for the Blazers to close out the victory.
