The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Marshall
Marshall Swings Past UAB In Baseball Series Finale
4/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 11, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Marshall scored five runs in the first inning Sunday and never trailed in a 14-4, seven-inning win over UAB as the Thundering Herd claimed this weekend's Conference USA baseball series from the Blazers.
Jamal Austin had three hits for UAB (19-11, 5-4 C-USA), posting multiple hits for the sixth time in the past seven games, but the Blazers managed just two hits from the rest of the lineup at Young Memorial Field.
Marshall (13-17, 4-5 C-USA) pounded out 13 hits, including three from both Kirby Pellant and Isaac Ballou. Pellant drove in four runs as the Thundering Herd snapped UAB's streak of six consecutive weekend series victories.
"We just couldn't get them out today," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "Even a lot of their outs were on hard hit balls. They outplayed us in every aspect of the game, and they deserved to win. They were the better team this weekend."
A first-inning, three-run double from Marshall's Josh Valle followed by a two-run homer from Thor Meeks put UAB in a 5-0 hole to start the game.
The Blazers clawed back to within two runs on a two-run blast from John Frost in the second inning and an RBI single from Austin in the third, but that was as close as UAB could get.
Marshall picked up a run in the fourth and then extended its lead to double-digits with seven runs in the fifth. A three-RBI double from Pellant and a two-run homer from Kurt Lipton highlighted the Marshall scoring against Blazer pitchers Ryan Woolley and Nick Graffeo to put the Thundering Herd on top, 13-3.
Woolley started for the Blazers and took the loss after surrendering nine runs in four and one-third innings. Marshall's Arik Sikula earned the win, allowing four runs over six frames.
A UAB run in the sixth and a Marshall run in the top of the seventh left the Blazers still trailing by 10 runs with the run-rule in effect for the final game of the conference series.
Back-to-back walks in the bottom of the seventh put two runners on, but Marshall went to James White and Kyle Blank out of the bullpen to induce a double play and a ground out to end the game. The double play was the fourth of the contest for the Herd.
