The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulane
UAB Beats Tulane On McMurry's Ninth Inning Single
3/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB center fielder Cody McMurry singled to right field to score shortstop Jonathan Merritt in the bottom of the ninth to give the Blazers an 8-7 victory over the Tulane Green Wave at Young Memorial Field Saturday afternoon.
The Blazers improve to 9-14 (1-4 C-USA) with the win, while Tulane goes to 17-8 (1-1 C-USA).
McMurry finished his day 2-for-5 with four RBI having hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning, while Merritt was 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and a stolen base.
"When I saw them walking (Ryan) Keedy, I just told myself that I had been in that situation before and went up there and wanted to do it early," McMurry said of his game-winning at bat in the ninth. "But if it weren't for the first four guys getting on base, I wouldn't have had a chance to do it so I give credit to them."
Designated hitter Austin Taylor led off the ninth for UAB and drew a walk before Merritt fought off a 0-2 offering for a single through the left side to bring up second baseman Nick Crawford who began his at bat looking to move the baserunners up, but ended up drawing a walk to load the bases with no outs.
Trailing 7-6, left fielder Phil Bell came to the plate for UAB and grounded a well struck ball down the right side of the infield where Green Wave first baseman Anthony Scelfo made a terrific diving stop to get the unassisted putout at first, but Taylor scored on the play to tie the game 7-7.
With first base open, Tulane decided to issue the intentional pass to UAB first baseman Ryan Keedy to load the bases with one out for McMurry and he didn't disappoint, taking the first pitch he saw from reliever Trey Martin to right field to score Merritt and close out the UAB victory.
Kyle Roberson (3-2) got the win on the mound for UAB after closing out the final 2.0 innings of the game in which he gave up one run on two hits.
Tulane closer Mason Griffin, who earned the save Friday night, got the loss after he was responsible for the two Blazer runs in the ninth having not retired a single batter.
Keedy extended his career-long hit streak to 17 games by going 1-for-4, while Bell brought his streak to 14 games, now just one shy of his career-best set last season, by going 1-for-5 with an RBI.
Tulane was paced offensively by designated hitter Andrew Rodgers and shortstop Seth Henry who both had three hits, two runs scored and an RBI.
UAB began the offensive laden early stages of the game when Merritt hit a home run that snuck just inside the left field foul pole to give UAB a 1-0 lead in the first.
Tulane took advantage of two Blazer errors in the second inning and manufactured three runs to take a 3-1 lead before the Blazers came back around in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game, 3-3. Taylor hit a single through the left side to score both right fielder Brint Hardy and third baseman Luke Stewart.
The Green Wave regained the lead, 5-3, in the top of the third when a pop up down the right field line by right fielder Warren McFadden fell in between a trio of chasing Blazers to allow Rodgers and Henry to score.
In the fifth, McMurry hit his second three-run home run of the series to give the lead back to the Blazers, 6-5. Crawford and Keedy both came in to score on the homer after reaching on a hit by pitch and a single, respectively.
After a scoreless sixth, there was a new ball game again in the seventh when Rodgers singled home Scelfo to tie things up at 6-6 and then, in the seventh, the Green Wave took a 7-6 lead when center fielder Aja Barto was singled home by pinch hitter Drew Allain.
The Blazers' ninth inning heroics then erased that lead and tied the series 1-1.
The Blazers and the Green Wave will play the series finale on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. That game can be heard in the Birmingham area on WSPZ 690 AM as well as on Blazer All-Access at UABsports.com.
