The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
East Carolina
Blazers Fall To ECU Friday, Ready For Doubleheader Saturday
4/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 3, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A game that was billed as an offensive showdown turned into a pitchers' duel for the most part Friday night as UAB fell 6-3 to 16th-ranked East Carolina in Conference USA action at Young Memorial Field.
East Carolina starter Chris Heston held the UAB offense to five hits in the game, matching the Blazers' lowest output of the season. The right-hander struck out 10 batters in his seven innings on the mound while earning his fifth win of the season without a loss.
Tristan Farrell took the loss in a relief effort for UAB, but the Blazers also pitched well for most of the evening. Shay Crawford made the start and surrendered three runs in five innings before giving way to Farrell, who allowed three runs over the final four frames. For the game, UAB pitching held the top offensive team in the conference to nine hits.
"It was a pitchers' game," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "The East Carolina kids pitched really well, and our guys pitched pretty well, too. The difference was they had four two-out hits to score runs, and we didn't have any."
UAB (16-11, 1-3 C-USA) and East Carolina (23-5, 6-1 C-USA) will be back in action with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 2 p.m. (CT). The original weekend schedule called for single games Saturday and Sunday, but the teams will instead play two on Saturday because of the potential for inclement weather on Sunday.
Saturday's first game will air live in Birmingham on WSPZ-AM 690, while fans can follow both games online through Gametracker live stats and All-Access live video at www.uabsports.com.
In Friday's game, the teams entered the seventh inning tied at 3-3 after East Carolina built one-run leads in the second, third and fifth innings only to see UAB tie the game back up each time.
In the top of the seventh, the Pirates finally scored a run UAB did not match. With a runner at second base and two outs, Stephen Batts dropped a hit into shallow center field that brought home what proved to be the game-winning run.
UAB put the leadoff runner on with doubles in both the seventh and eighth innings but couldn't make anything happen. In the eighth inning, it was Brint Hardy who led off with a double, and the senior outfielder went on to steal third base with one out. But East Carolina reliever Patrick Somers struck out the next two batters to maintain a 4-3 Pirate lead.
"We had our chances," Shoop said. "But their starter is 5-0 now, and they have a good pitching staff. I think the disappointing stat is that we struck out 14 times, which doesn't show a good commitment at the plate with two strikes. But, again, their pitching staff was very good."
In the top of the ninth, East Carolina added a pair of insurance runs on a two-out, two-RBI double from Kyle Roller. Of East Carolina's six runs in the game, five of them came with two outs.
In the bottom of the inning, Seth Simmons came out of the bullpen for the Pirates to close out the game and pick up his fourth save of the season.
Luke Stewart -- who hit his team-best ninth home run of the year to tie the game in the sixth inning -- and Andrew Manning drove in two of the three UAB runs on the night, and the Blazers scored their third on an East Carolina error. Five UAB players recorded one hits apiece.
Batts, Roller and Trent Whitehead led East Carolina with two hits each, while Batts and Roller each logged a pair of RBI.
