The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulane
Tulane Tops UAB Sunday In Pitchers' Duel, 3-1
5/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 10, 2009
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- UAB starting pitcher Kyle Roberson made only one mistake in Sunday's baseball series finale, but Tulane's Jared Dyer turned it into a three-run home run to provide all the scoring the Green Wave needed in a 3-1 win at Turchin Stadium.
Roberson found himself locked in a pitchers' duel with Tulane starter Conrad Flynn as both players went the distance. Other than Dyer's home run, Roberson (6-6) only allowed one other hit, holding the Green Wave hitless after the second inning but taking the loss in hard-luck fashion.
Flynn (6-3) scattered six hits and allowed the Blazers more than one hit in only one inning as he pitched his third complete game of the season to help Tulane take the series two games to one. It was the Green Wave's fifth straight series victory.
With the loss, UAB falls to 28-23 (9-11 C-USA) and remains in sixth place in the Conference USA standings. Tulane improves to 30-22 (10-10 C-USA) and stays in fourth place in the league.
"It was a great college game," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "We lost the series, but we didn't lose it today. We lost it with the way we played yesterday. Today, their guy just pitched great, and we got beat. That happens sometimes."
Dyer's decisive home run came with two outs in the second inning. After a pair of walks to Seth Henry and Drew Allain put two runners on, Dyer worked a full count and then sent the payoff pitch high and deep to right field to put the Green Wave ahead 3-1. That was the last hit Roberson allowed.
UAB responded with a run in the third inning on an RBI single from Brint Hardy, but that proved to be the only run the Blazers could manage in the game. Flynn did not allow a Blazer past first base after that third inning.
If the Blazers were going to rally, it looked like it was going to be in the eighth inning. Austin Taylor led off the frame with a rocket to right center field that would have cleared the wall, but Tulane right fielder Drew Allain made a spectacular catch to rob Taylor of a home run.
The next batter was Allen Aubin, who laced a ball back up the middle that kicked off Flynn's foot and straight to shortstop Josh Prince, who threw on to first for the out. A Jamal Austin groundout ended the inning, and then Flynn retired the Blazers in order in the ninth.
"Flynn pitched great," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "He didn't walk anybody, and it's hard to score when a pitcher does that. Kyle pitched great for us, too. It's unfortunate that the home run he allowed came on the backend of two walks, but he pitched well."
UAB's chances against Flynn came in the early innings. The Blazers had a runner at third with one out in both the first and second innings, but Flynn struck out the next batter both times and induced a first-inning flyout and a second-inning groundout to get out of both jams. Hardy's RBI single came with two outs and a runner on third in the third inning.
Hardy was one of five Blazers to collect a hit in the game, and Austin led UAB at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance. Austin also stole two bases in the contest.
Other than Dyer's home run, Tulane's only other hit came on a single from Scott Powell in the first inning. Powell was eventually erased by UAB catcher Allen Aubin on a stolen base attempt. The Green Wave also had four base runners reach on walks and one on an error.
After the first two games of the weekend series took a combined seven hours and six minutes, the teams played Sunday's game in two hours and two minutes. It was the second-shortest nine-inning game of the season for UAB.
The Blazers close out the regular season this week when they host league-leading Rice in a three-game conference series. The series opens Thursday with a 7 p.m. (CT) first pitch at Young Memorial Field.
