The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Presbyterian
Blazers Drop Two Games Saturday To Visiting Presbyterian
2/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 28, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team suffered a pair of defeats Saturday in a doubleheader against Presbyterian. The Blazers dropped the first game 5-3 before falling 16-3 in the nightcap.
Austin Taylor led the Blazers at the plate with four hits over the two games as both teams battled through the elements. Cold temperatures and heavy moisture in the air, compounded by an already wet field, made playing conditions difficult.
With the losses, UAB falls to 3-3 on the season, while Presbyterian improves to 2-5. The teams are scheduled to close out their three-game series Sunday with a first pitch at 1 p.m.
Saturday's action was originally scheduled as a single game but became a doubleheader when Friday's series opener was postponed by rain.
Game 1 Recap
Cody McMurry homered in Saturday's first game for UAB and added two walks to reach base in three of his four plate appearances. He now leads UAB with eight walks through six games. Mack Hite led Presbyterian with two hits and two RBI in the contest.
UAB took an early lead with two runs in the second inning. After the Blazers loaded the bases with no outs, Andrew Manning brought home the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly. Allen Aubin followed with a run-scoring single as the Blazers built a 2-0 lead.
Presbyterian answered in the fifth with two runs of its own. Hite homered in the inning, and Kenny Bryant plated the other run for the Blue Hose on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Presbyterian then added two more runs in the sixth as the Blue Hose grabbed a 4-2 advantage on a Jesse Harmon RBI single and a UAB error.
UAB picked up one run in the bottom of the sixth on McMurry's first home run of the year, but that was all the Blazers could manage. Presbyterian tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth and held on for a 5-3 win.
Chris Powell earned the win on the mound for Presbyterian, while Kyle Roberson took the loss for UAB. Presbyterian's Daniel Hill picked up the save.
Roberson allowed four runs -- two earned -- in 5.2 innings of work, and Tristan Farrell came on to pitch the final 3.1 innings for the Blazers. Farrell did not have a run charged to him during that stretch and continued his strong start to the season.
Game 2 Recap
Taylor tallied three hits while Nick Crawford and Jamal Austin added two hits each in Saturday's second game, but it was not enough for UAB to overcome a large early deficit to Presbyterian.
The Blue Hose jumped out to an 8-0 lead with one run in the second, five in the third and two more in the fourth. Presbyterian racked up eight hits through the first four innings and was aided by several Blazer miscues during that stretch.
UAB found the scoreboard in the fifth, scoring one run on a Presbyterian error and another on an RBI double from Crawford. The sophomore second baseman also plated the Blazers' third run of the game on an RBI groundout in the seventh inning.
Presbyterian added one run in the sixth inning and then tacked on seven in the top of the ninth to ride out a 16-3 win.
Hite and Gabe Grammer led all players in the game with four hits each for Presbyterian, and Grammer drove in a game-best three runs. Harmon, who started game two on the mound, earned the win for the Blue Hose, while Shay Crawford took his first loss of the season for UAB.
Blake Huddleston was a bright spot on the mound for UAB. The sophomore right-hander came out of the bullpen to pitch 3.2 solid innings of relief, allowing just one run on two hits. Beau Pender also worked a scoreless inning of relief for the Blazers.
