The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Southern Miss
UAB Falls To Southern Miss In Deciding Game, 8-4
4/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 22, 2007
HATTIESBURG, Miss. ----- The UAB baseball team lost the deciding game of its three-game series at Southern Miss on Sunday, 8-4, at Pete Taylor Park.
Blazer senior catcher Danny Sawyer had one of his most productive days of the season at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a double in the losing effort.
Right-hander David Clark earned the win on the mound for the Golden Eagles to improve to 5-3 on the year after striking out eight and walking none in 6.2 innings.
UAB junior right-hander Dustin Colburn had a strong outing last Wednesday to get a win over Jacksonville State; however, Sunday was a new day as he got the loss after giving up six runs in 1.1 innings. Colburn is now 3-2 with the loss.
Southern Miss improves to 25-16 (6-9 C-USA) with the win, while UAB drops to 18-24 (5-7 C-USA) with the loss.
Junior outfielder Phil Bell extended his team and career-long hitting streak to 13 games by going 2-for-5. Junior shortstop Brett Hall was 2-for-2 with a single and a double.
Southern Miss first baseman Trey Sutton had an outstanding day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored and an RBI. Designated hitter Luke Adkins was 1-for-2 with a home run.
A lead off single up the middle by Sutton followed by a chopping double down the left field line by second baseman James Ewing set the stage for a three-run first inning for the Golden Eagles.
Sutton and Ewing scored on a fielding error by freshman shortstop Jonathan Merritt and later, center fielder Cody Blount, who reached on the error, scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by left fielder Drew Carson.
UAB got one back in the second when Sawyer ripped a two-out homer over the left field wall for his first long ball of the season and eighth of his career to make it 3-1.
The Eagles kept their offense coming in the bottom half of the second. Third baseman Chris Matesich and shortstop Trey Dozier each singled to lead off the inning and then Sutton drove Matesich home on an RBI-double and then Dozier scored after Colburn walked him home to end his day on the mound.
With USM leading 5-0 and the bases loaded with just one out in the second, UAB junior right-hander James Oliver came in and struck out his first batter faced but then issued a walk to score Sutton and make it 6-0. Oliver then got designated hitter Trey Cuevas to foul out to right field to end the second-straight three-run inning for the Eagles.
After 2 ½ scoreless innings, pinch-hitting Atkins launched his first home run of the season to right field off Oliver in the fifth to extend the Southern Miss advantage to 7-1.
UAB cut into the USM lead in the seventh when senior outfielder J.R. Bond singled to extend his hit streak to eight games and then Sawyer doubled to the left field corner to bring Bond home. Back-to-back pinch-hit singles by Hall and sophomore second baseman Allen Aubin brought home Sawyer to make it 7-3. Aubin was credited with an RBI for scoring Sawyer.
Southern Miss added one more in the eighth to cap-off its eight-run offensive output.
UAB loaded the bases in the ninth and got Aubin home after right-hander Tyler Conn balked with junior first baseman Ryan Keedy at the plate. However, the Eagles got the final out of the inning to close out the 8-4 victory.
The Blazers will play at home Monday vs. Kennesaw State in a makeup contest from earlier this season. Gametime at Young Memorial Field is set for 4 p.m.
