The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Marshall
UAB Baseball Claims Series Over Marshall In DH Split
3/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game One: Box Score (PDF) | Final Stats
Game Two: Box Score (PDF) | Final Stats
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In its fourth doubleheader of the season, the UAB baseball team battled Marshall for 11 innings in game one and used a dominant pitching effort in game two to split the doubleheader and claim the series Saturday at Regions Field.
"Another grind of a day," head coach Brian Shoop said. "Runs are at a premium right now and we're struggling to score. I'm so proud of our pitchers. It is so difficult to get through a weekend without (Alex) Luna and (Cory) Eller, and that's two really good guys."
Both squads battled late offensively in game one, a contest that ran to 11 innings. UAB (12-9, 2-4 C-USA) starter Ryan Ruggles, along with reliever Adam Lau, combined to allow just five hits and one run in game two, taking the series over Marshall (7-15, 1-5 C-USA).
"We battled back in that first game and were down twice and got the winning run to second base with two good hitters up in Adam (Smith) and Tyler (Mims). I thought Tyler Mims' at-bat in that first game where he drove in our first run, really just competed like crazy, was the catalyst of getting us rolling. Ruggles was great, that's the longest Lau had thrown all year and we needed him to and he was dominant. Two hard-fought games, could've won both of them, could've lost both of them, so we'll take two."
UAB hits the road for five-straight beginning Tuesday with a doubleheader at Ole Miss.
Game One Recap
UAB collected just one hit through six innings, but broke through for six in the final three frames before the Herd went on to plate one in the 11th.
After a double in the second made it a 1-0 contest, Marshall put together a three-run fifth frame off two hits and a Blazer error, taking a 4-0 advantage all the way to the seventh over UAB.
The Blazer bats came alive in the seventh, though, as UAB cut it to a one-run advantage. Jeff Schalk walked to begin the frame and Lau drew a one-out walk, setting up two on for Mims. His single to right-center field on a full count plated UAB's first run, before back-to-back singles from Evan Peterson and Mitch Williams pushed two more runs across.
Marshall fought right back in its next half, scoring two off consecutive singles. Griffin Gum drove in the Blazers' fourth run off a sacrifice fly to center in the eighth, making it a 6-4 game heading to the ninth.
Mims led off the inning reaching on a hit by pitch, before he was out at second when Peterson reached on a fielder's choice. That's when Mitch Williams launched the second home run of his career - and first of 2015 - to right field to tie it up and send the game to extras.
UAB left two men on base in the 10th, before Marshall scored the game-winner in the 11th off a double to center field.
Game Two Recap
A combined three pitchers were used in game two, as Marshall's Michael Taylor was effective going the distance, while Ruggles and Lau shut the door against the Herd.
The difference in the game came in the fifth, when UAB took advantage of two Marshall mishaps and plated two runs off three hits.
The Herd responded in the sixth when they put together back-to-back hits and scored on a sacrifice fly, but Lau entered in relief for Ruggles to end the threat and earn his second save of the season in 3.2 IP. Ruggles improved to 2-0 with the win, allowing just the one run with five strikeouts.
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