The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Jacksonville State
Jacksonville State Comes Back To Beat UAB, 6-5
3/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2008
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The UAB baseball team lost, 6-5, on a walk-off double by Jacksonville State designated hitter Bert Smith in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday night at Rudy Abbott Field. Senior Phil Bell was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in the game.
UAB falls to 4-6 with the loss, while Jacksonville State improves to 3-6.
Despite allowing just one earned run and striking out four in 1.2 innings, Kyle Roberson (1-1) was tabbed with the loss on the mound.
JSU closer Alex Jones (1-1) got the win after striking out all three Blazers he faced in the ninth.
In addition to Bell's productive day at the plate, first baseman Ryan Keedy was 2-for-4 with an RBI and third baseman Andrew Manning was 2-for-5.
Jacksonville State was led by right fielder Clay Whittemore who finished the day 3-for-4. Smith was 2-for-5 with the game-winning RBI.
After trailing for much of the early stages of the game, UAB came up and took its first lead in the top of the sixth when Bell hit his two-run blast over the left field wall that scored second baseman Nick Crawford to make it a 4-2 Blazer lead.
JSU cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to center field by center fielder Daniel Adamson that scored left fielder Todd Cunningham, who singled to lead off the inning.
The Blazers responded in the top of the eighth by loading the bases with no outs. After a Blazer strikeout, designated hitter Luke Stewart drew his third walk of the game to bring home Crawford to take a 5-3 lead.
Left fielder Austin Taylor ended the inning by lining into a double play at second base.
Roberson came on in relief to start the bottom of the eighth and after striking out his first batter faced, gave up a double to shortstop Josh Sanders, before getting another strikeout to make there two outs with a runner on second.
Later in the inning with the score still 5-3, a routine fly ball to second base turned costly for the Blazers as the ball fell between Keedy and second baseman Ben Drust for an error that allowed Sanders to score.
Then, back-to-back walks issued by Roberson plated one more Gamecock run to tie the game, 5-5. Roberson then got his third strikeout of the inning to retire the side.
Then in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and a runner on second, Smith hit a shot to deep center fielder where UAB center fielder Cody McMurry gave chase but the ball fell just out of his reach for the game-winner.
The Blazers will now travel to Hilo, Hawaii to take on Hawaii-Hilo in a doubleheader Saturday starting at 4:00 p.m. HT.
