The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Penn State
Penn State Edges Baseball, 5-4
3/11/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 11, 2012
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- UAB loaded the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Casey Kulina struck out three consecutive batters to help Penn State escape with a 5-4 victory in the series finale on Sunday at Young Memorial Field.
The loss for UAB (12-4) snapped a six-game winning streak, while Penn State improved to 3-11 on the season.
“For six innings I thought we were very poor. I thought we played with poor energy and it was very disappointing to me,” head coach Brian Shoop said. “The last three innings we got after it a bit.
“You can’t take six innings off and expect to do well. It was a tremendous at bat by (Tyler) Mims in the ninth for us. We had the right guys up in the ninth. I can’t imagine you not wanting to have (Ivan) De Jesus, (Michael) Busby and (John) Frost have a shot at it, but tip your hat to their guy who struck out the side.”
The score teeter-tottered throughout the ball game as both team posted a run in each half of the first inning.
Penn State struck first with a RBI single by Aaron Novak, but the Blazers answered when Patrick Palmeiro rocketed a run scoring double in the home squad’s first crack at it offensively.
Blazers added another run in the second, when Ryan Ussery connected for a solo homer, his first of the year, which hit off the hitting facility in left field.
The Nittany Lions responded, crossing home in the fourth and two more times in the fifth, which featured a two-run homer by Jordan Steranka.
In the seventh, UAB knocked around PSU starter Steven Hill for four hits in the frame. Unfortunately a RBI single by Harry Clark was all the Blazers would muster in the way of runs, as Hill induced an inning-ending double play to escape with the game tied, 4-4.
Steranka, who was a thorn in the UAB side all day, hit what proved to be the game-winning RBI single in the top of the ninth. He finished the day 3-for-5 with three RBI.
An intense bottom of the ninth for the Blazers started with back-to-back singles by Keith DePew and pinch hitter Tyler Mims. After Mims’ base knock, PSU pulled reliever Greg Welsh (1-0) in favor of Casey Kulina. The southpaw walked the first batter he faced, Todd Wilkinson, before recording three strikeouts in a row to preserve the one-run victory and earn the save.
Chase Mallard (1-1) was pinned with the loss. The righty fired 4.0 innings out of the UAB bullpen, giving up two earned runs off four hits with a pair of punch outs.
Ussery finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, along with his first homer of the season. Clark went 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI.
The Blazers next game is on Tuesday at Kennesaw State. First pitch
