The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Takes First Game Of Saturday Doubleheader, 11-5
4/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2009
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Shay Crawford turned in one of his best pitching performances of the season, and the UAB bats came alive late as the Blazers defeated Southern Miss 11-5 Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader at Pete Taylor Park.
The second game of the day -- and the final game of the three-game series -- is currently in progress. The teams are playing a doubleheader to conclude the series because of the threat for inclement weather on Sunday.
In Saturday's first game, Crawford matched his season-high with 6.0 innings pitched and held the Southern Miss offense to two runs, only one of which was earned. The sophomore left-hander allowed only three hits in his outing and just one through the first five innings.
Crawford left the game with a slim 3-2 lead, and reliever Tristan Farrell took the Blazers through the seventh inning before UAB exploded for eighth runs in the eighth.
UAB entered the eighth with just five combined hits off of Southern Miss pitchers Todd McInnis and Jonathan Johnston, but the Blazer offense got healthy with seven hits in the eighth off of three Golden Eagle pitchers.
After UAB loaded the bases with no outs, Allen Aubin started the scoring for the inning with a two-RBI double. Aubin's hit opened the floodgates as UAB went on to send 12 batters to the plate in the inning. Andrew Manning and Brint Hardy recorded RBI singles in the frame, while Cody McMurry plated a run with a double. Jonathan Merritt added an RBI groundout, and the Blazers scored two more runs on Southern Miss wild pitches.
The eight runs put UAB ahead 11-2 and gave the Blazers more than enough insurance to hold off Southern Miss, which scored three late runs in the ninth.
Farrell finished out the game, pitching the final 3.0 innings to earn his first save of the season. Crawford took the win to improve to 4-2 on the year. McInnis took the loss for Southern Miss despite holding UAB to three runs -- just one earned -- in 6.0 innings.
Hardy led UAB with three hits in the game, while McMurry, Towe and Nick Crawford added two hits each. McMurry, Aubin and Manning each drove in a pair of runs. Ewing led Southern Miss with three hits, while Walker posted a team-best two RBI.
Blazer Notes
-- Jonathan Merritt scored a third-inning run to move into a tie for eighth on UAB's all-time runs scored list. The junior shortstop is now tied with Phil Bell (2005-08) with 135 career runs scored.
-- Brint Hardy recorded three hits in the game to tie Merritt for the team-lead with 17 multiple-hit games on the season.
-- Luke Stewart recorded the 80th and 81st walks of his UAB career to move into a tie with Jeff Bell (1996-98) for eighth on the Blazers' all-time walks list.
-- The Blazers improved to 3-2 on the season in the first games of doubleheaders.
