The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Memphis
Comeback Falls Short For Baseball
5/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 6, 2012
MEMPHIS, Tenn. ---- The UAB baseball team erased a five-run deficit, but Zach Willis roped a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth to break a 6-6 tie and give Memphis an 8-6 victory on Sunday at FedExPark.
UAB (26-23, 7-11 C-USA) fell behind early as Memphis (23-24, 11-10) came out swinging, plating six runs during the first three frames. During the scoring spree, Jacob Wilson clubbed a pair of solo homers and Ethan Gross roped a two-run double.
With two outs in the third, the Blazers went to their bullpen, lifting starter Michael Busby in favor of fellow right-hander Chase Mallard. In his 20th appearance of the season, Mallard pitched extremely effectively, taming the Tigers until the eighth.
Mallard, who fell to 3-3, pitched 4.2 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) off three hits. All three hits were singles, and only one left the infield. He walked five and struck out three in the loss.
UAB was able dig itself out of the 6-1 hole after three innings to plate three in the sixth and two more in the seventh to square up the score at 6-all.
In the sixth, Ryan Ussery knocked an RBI double just inside the third-base bag in front of Keith DePew lining a single up the middle to plate two more runs. With two runners on, Memphis’ Chase Joiner recorded a strikeout to end the Blazer threat.
An inning later, the comeback surge continued for the Blazers. Ivan De Jesus sparked the rally with a ringing double to right-center, followed by a walk to John Frost. Up next stepped Memphis native Harry Clark, who smoked a one-hopper that ricocheted off a Memphis infielder into center field for an RBI single to make the score, 6-5. Frost raced home with the tying run on a wild pitch.
The score remained tied, until Willis lined the two-run game-winning single in the last of the eighth.
Jonathan Van Eaton (4-2) picked up his second win of the series, as the reliever recorded the last six outs to give Memphis the series sweep against the Blazers.
Four Blazers finished with multi-hit games, as the visiting squad outhit the Tigers, 13 to 12. DePew led the charge going 3-for-5 with two RBI, and De Jesus, Ryan Prinzing and Ussery all had two hits apiece.
Next up for UAB is a midweek showdown vs. Jacksonville State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT, before heading to Houston to play a three-game series at nationally ranked Rice.
