The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Memphis
Memphis Hands UAB 13-Inning Loss In Doubleheader Opener
4/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 16, 2011
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Memphis third baseman Jacob Wilson doubled home two runs in the 13th inning Saturday to lift the Tigers to a 6-4 win over the UAB baseball team in game one of a doubleheader at Young Memorial Field.
Game two is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 p.m. CT between the Blazers (20-14, 6-4 C-USA) and Tigers (20-14, 4-3 C-USA).
Nick Crawford had three hits, reached base in five of his six plate appearances and scored two runs in Saturday's first game to lead UAB offensively. Jamal Austin had a pair of hits and drove in two runs for the Blazers.
Seven of the game's 12 runs were scored in the first three innings as the offenses got off to a quick start. Austin's RBI triple in the third tied the game at 3-3, and John Frost's sacrifice fly one batter later gave UAB a 4-3 lead that held up until the ninth inning.
After giving up the three early Memphis runs, UAB starter Dillon Napoleon worked the next five frames without surrendering another run. He pitched eight innings for the fourth time in his past five starts, allowing eight hits and striking out four before leaving the game with a one-run lead.
But Drew Martinez led off the top of the ninth with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on an RBI single from Wilson to tie things up at 4-4.
The score stayed that way until the 13th when Memphis put two runners on with one out before Wilson's double gave the Tigers their first lead since the third inning.
Memphis reliever Michael Wills shut the door in the bottom of the 13th, his second inning of relief, to earn the win. Ryan Nance pitched a season-high five innings in relief of Napoleon but suffered the loss after allowing the last three Memphis runs.
UAB scored all four of its runs against Memphis starter Dan Langfield, who pitched seven innings and had more strikeouts against UAB than any other pitcher this year with 11. Langfield combined with relievers Tyler Farley and Wills to hold the Blazers without a run for 10 straight innings to close the contest.
Offensively, Wilson went 4-for-5 for Memphis and drove in three runs, while Martinez had a pair of hits and scored twice for the Tigers.
It was the first extra-inning loss of the season for UAB, which defeated UT Martin in 12 innings and Marshall in 14 innings earlier this season. It also marked the first loss in a weekend series opener for the Blazers this year.
