The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Coastal Carolina
Baseball Falls At Coastal Carolina, 7-0
3/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 18, 2012
CONWAY, S.C. ---- Michael Busby held the Coastal Carolina offense hitless through the first 5.1 innings, but the Chanticleers snapped a scoreless tie by scoring four times in the bottom of sixth and held on to defeat the UAB baseball team, 7-0, on Sunday afternoon at Watson Stadium.
“(Michael) Busby was great. He had a no-hitter through one out in the sixth, then he walked a guy and miss located a pitch on the one guy (Daniel Bowman) in their lineup that could hit a home run,” head coach Brian Shoop said.
UAB now sits at 13-7 for the season, while Coast Carolina upped its record to 13-6.
Coastal Carolina starter Austin Wallace lived dangerously through the first three innings. The lefty put the leadoff batter on in the first, second and third, but the Blazers were unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunities.
In the first, things started off in a quickly when Ryan Ussery (2-for-4) roped a double just over the third base bag on the first pitch of the game. After he moved up on a sac bunt from Coy Arrowood, John Frost laced a pitch to third, but CCU’s third base man Chris Suseck snared the line drive and stepped on the base to end the inning with only three pitches being thrown.
An inning later, UAB had runners on second and third thanks to Jacob German walking and Ussery knocking a base hit to center and advancing into scoring position on a throw to the plate. With one down, Wallace retired Arrowood and Frost to keep the Blazers off the scoreboard.
“We had two really good opportunities in the first two innings. If we get a run in each of those situations, we are up two and I think it is a different game, but unfortunately we didn’t,” Shoop said.
Wallace kept the Blazers off the scoreboard through the first five frames before being lifted for reliever Devin Bradley (1-0). Bradley pitched three scoreless frames prior to Woody Nisbet recording the final three outs against the UAB lineup.
Busby (1-1) was equally, if not more effective and efficient on the mound through the first five compared to Wallace. The righty had held the Chanticleers hitless through 5.1 innings, before the senior fell into trouble.
CCU’s Alex Buccilli walked with out in the sixth in front of Daniel Bowman. On the first pitch from Busby, Bowman pulled a two-run homer to left to break up the scoreless tie and give the Chanticleers the lead 2-0 on their first hit of the day.
The Chanticleers doubled up its lead, 4-0, when later in the frame Susek knocked a double to center field to plate two more runs and end the day for Busby.
In his fourth start of the season, Busby finished the outing with 5.1 innings pitched, four runs (all earned) on three hits – all coming in the sixth – with five strikeouts and three walks.
CCU added three runs in the seventh and held on for the 7-0 victory.
UAB finished the C.C. Classic hosted by CCU, 1-2, with a win against Connecticut and consecutive losses to Michigan and to the Chanticleers.
“People may have trouble believing this, because we lost two out of three, but these are three programs that have been to Super Regionals. I leave here feeling like we were the best team, even though we didn’t win. I just have to convince the guys that and get back to work on Tuesday,” Shoop said.
Next up for the Blazers is a trip to Jacksonville State on Wednesday. The two teams will conclude a suspended a game from Feb. 28 prior to playing the game that was originally scheduled. First pitch of the suspended game will begin at 4:30 p.m. CT.
