The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulane
Blazers Fall Victim To Tulane Comeback In 9-8 Loss
5/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 9, 2009
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Cody McMurry and Andrew Manning had three hits each Saturday for UAB, but Tulane came from behind in the late innings to score a 9-8 victory and even this weekend's Conference USA baseball series at a game apiece.
With the loss, the Blazers (28-22, 9-10 C-USA) fell a half game behind the Green Wave (29-22, 10-10 C-USA) in the league standings. UAB also dropped percentage points behind Southern Miss (11-12 C-USA) and currently sits in sixth place with four conference games remaining.
UAB and Tulane will meet again Sunday for the rubber game of this weekend's series with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m. (CT) at Turchin Stadium in New Orleans.
After leading Friday's series opener wire-to-wire, UAB looked like it might do the same again Saturday. The Blazers scored in the second inning to go on top 1-0 and led by as many as five runs before Tulane scored six unanswered over its final three at-bats.
The decisive inning was the eighth, which UAB entered still holding on to a one-run advantage at 8-7. But with runners on the corners and one out, UAB relief pitcher Colin McMurry was called for a balk that allowed Jared Dyer to score the game-tying run and advanced Josh Prince to second. Scott Powell then followed with a single through the left side that plated Prince for what proved to be the game-winner.
In the top of the ninth, Manning led off with a single to put the potential tying run on base for UAB, but Tulane closer Nick Pepitone came out of the bullpen to collect three straight outs -- two by strikeout -- to finish off the game.
Pepitone earned his eighth save of the season, while Colin McMurry (3-2) suffered the loss for UAB. Tulane's Preston Claiborne (3-2) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to get the Green Wave through the eighth and earn the win.
The Tulane comeback spoiled a good offensive start for UAB, which scored in every inning from the second through the sixth to build an 8-3 lead. Tulane starter Josh Zeid came in at 5-0 on the season, but the Blazers scored five of those runs off him and forced him from the game after only four innings.
Manning hit his third home run in two games and his 10th of the season on a two-run shot in the fourth inning as part of the early onslaught. Brint Hardy also had a pair of RBI and stole his 42nd base of the season as UAB built its lead.
Hardy and Prince came into the series ranked first and second nationally with 41 and 40 steals, respectively. So far this weekend, Hardy's fifth-inning steal Saturday is the only one for either player.
After UAB starter Shay Crawford left with the lead in the sixth inning, Tulane chipped away against the Blazer bullpen with one run in the sixth and three in the seventh, including a two-run homer off the bat of Jeremy Schaffer. When Powell singled in the eighth to complete the comeback, it gave Tulane its first lead of the weekend.
Powell and Shaffer led the Green Wave offensively with two hits and two RBI each. Tulane's Seth Henry walked four times without recording an official at-bat against a UAB pitching staff that walked a total of nine batters.
Saturday's game was the fifth in a row between UAB and Tulane to be decided by two runs or fewer. In Sunday's series finale, the Blazers will be looking for their fourth series victory in their past five tries, while the Green Wave will be trying to win their fifth straight series.
