The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Memphis
UAB Baseball Ends C-USA Championship With Loss To Memphis
5/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 27, 2011
PEARL, Miss. -- The UAB baseball team racked up 13 hits Friday but came up a run short against Memphis in a 5-4 loss on the final day of pool play at the Conference USA Baseball Championship presented by Trustmark.
Senior Nick Crawford became the Blazers' all-time leader in games played with 224, breaking a tie with Kristin Metheny (1989-93) to take over sole possession of the top spot on the list.
The Blazers (29-28) drew even at 4-4 in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI single from Ryan Prinzing, but Memphis (30-27) answered quickly with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth from Robby Graham to re-take a one-run lead.
UAB managed a pair of base runners in the ninth, but Memphis reliever Jonathan Van Eaton closed the door as the Tigers held on for the win.
"Today was kind of a culmination of the offensive struggles we've had all year," UAB assistant coach Perry Roth said. "We didn't hit well with two strikes or with runners in scoring position. When you have 13 hits, you should be able to score more than four runs."
With both teams already eliminated from contention for Saturday's championship game, Friday's contest became a quest for each team to reach the 30-win mark as both sides entered at 29-27. Despite the loss, UAB finished with a winning record for the third year in a row.
UAB scored single runs in the first and fifth innings to hold a 2-1 lead before Memphis batted around in the bottom of the fifth and scored three runs on just two hits with the aid of a pair of UAB errors. A wild pitch plated Jacob Wilson to put the Tigers on top 4-2.
Jacob German drove in a UAB run with a single in the sixth to cut the Memphis lead to 4-3 before Prinzing tied it up two innings later. Prinzing got the start in the Blazer outfield in place of Jamal Austin, who was a late scratch with an injury.
Michael Busby, who has battled injuries all season, turned in his longest outing on the mound since early April and pitched well for UAB. The right-hander allowed four runs, but just one earned, in 4.2 innings. Memphis starter Ryan Holland worked seven innings and surrendered three runs, but both starting pitchers took no-decisions.
"Our ability to defend the field has been a strength for us, but unearned runs cost us today," Roth said. "Busby was great. He hadn't thrown in probably two weeks, and he pitched and competed well out there."
Van Eaton earned the win for the Tigers, tossing the final 1.1 innings. Mark McKinley allowed just one run in 2.2 innings of relief but suffered the loss for UAB.
