The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
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Mississippi State
UAB Lets Early Lead Slip In Loss To Mississippi State
3/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 18, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB scored six runs in the first inning, but an 11-run fifth and seven-run sixth by Mississippi State led the Bulldogs to a 24-10 victory over the Blazers at Young Memorial Field Tuesday night.
UAB shortstop Jonathan Merritt was 5-for-6 with two home runs and three RBI to lead UAB, while MSU left fielder Jason Nappi set a school record with 11 RBI.
Merritt's stellar offensive outing would be out-done by Nappi who was 3-for-5 with three home runs, including a grand slam that helped drive in his school record 11 RBI.
Mississippi State improves to 9-9 with the win, while UAB is now 6-10.
Lee Swindle (2-0) earned the win on the mound for the Bulldogs after slowing the Blazer offense down by throwing 3.0 innings in which he gave up one run on two hits.
Blake Huddleston (1-1) was tabbed with the loss for UAB after not retiring a batter in the fifth, allowing five runs on three hits.
UAB used a total of 11 pitchers in the game who combined to tie the school record for strikeouts in a game with 17. Kyle Roberson led the staff with four punch outs in 1.1 innings of work.
In addition to Merritt's strong showing offensively, first baseman Ryan Keedy continued his dominance at the plate Tuesday by going 2-for-5 with three RBI.
Blazer right fielder Brint Hardy was 2-for-5 with two RBI in the losing effort.
MSU third baseman Connor Powers was 3-for-5 with five RBI and two home runs in helping the Bulldogs tie a school record with six total home runs in the game.
The first four baserunners of the game for UAB came around to score and two more would follow as the Blazers opened up a 6-0 lead in the first inning.
Merritt homered to right field to get the offense started and then second baseman Nick Crawford and left fielder Phil Bell scored the second and third runs of the inning on a screaming line drive double to left-center field by Keedy.
Keedy later scored on a bouncing single through the right side by catcher Allen Aubin. Hardy later singled home third baseman Luke Stewart and then Merritt came back around and scored Aubin on his second hit of the inning - a bunt single to first base.
After the two teams exchanged one run apiece in both the third and fourth innings to give UAB an 8-2 lead, Mississippi State unloaded for 11 runs in the fifth thanks to a three-run home run and grand slam by Nappi for a total of seven RBI in the inning.
The Bulldogs held on to their 13-8 lead heading into the sixth when they chalked up another big inning, this time scoring seven runs, four of which came in to score on a grand slam to center field by Powers.
Both teams scored a pair of runs in the seventh and then the Bulldogs added two more in the eighth to close out the 24-10 triumph.
UAB will now open Conference USA play this weekend when it travels to Memphis for a three-game series that begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Nat Buring Stadium.
