The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Western Kentucky
Blazers, Hilltoppers Split Saturday Doubleheader
4/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team and Western Kentucky University split their Saturday doubleheader at Young Memorial Field. The Blazers (11-16, 3-5 C-USA) shut out the Toppers (15-11, 4-4 C-USA), 2-0, behind a magnificent pitching performance from left-hander Ryan Ruggles in the first game, but fell 2-1 in the nightcap.
Game One: WKU 0, UAB 2
Two runs were all the Green and Gold needed to take the first game of the series. Ruggles (3-2) tossed 8.1 innings of one-hit baseball, coming up just two outs shy of the complete-game shutout due to high pitch count.
The left-hander left a runner on base in the second and got into a tight situation in the third with two on, but escaped the inning on a fly to left to begin a stretch of 11 Toppers retired in a row. An error in the seventh and walk in the ninth represented the only two WKU batters to reach beyond the third inning under the sophomore's watch.
"Ryan wasn't sharp early," head coach Brian Shoop said. "He walked some guys, and hit two in a row to get to the best hitter in the league; but he made big pitches to get out of it. Then he got on a roll after the third inning. He was totally in control."
Ruggles' win came via runs scored in the first and fifth innings from the UAB offense. Esteban Tresgallo put the Blazers on the board in the first frame with a solo home run to left, against the wind, to put the first dent in the scoreboard. It was the senior's second round-tripper of the year and first in C-USA play.
A perfectly executed sacrifice squeeze with the bases loaded in the fifth led to the game's final score. With third baseman Evan Peterson charging home from third base, freshman slugger Carter Pharis put down a bunt near the right side of the plate to the senior.
After Ruggles exited with two outs to go in the contest, freshman Garrett Whitlock was called on for a righty-righty matchup, and junior Thomas Lowery picked up his third save in a lefty-lefty matchup.
Game Two: WKU 2, UAB 1
Despite out-hitting the Hilltoppers, 8-7, in the second game and piecing together a short-lived rally in the ninth, the WKU pitching duo of Josh Bartley and Jackson Sowell was too much for UAB to handle.
Bartley picked up his fourth win of the season, out-dueling UAB freshman starter Tanner Graham (1-3) through nearly eight innings. The WKU starter went 7.2 innings, yielding no runs on seven hits.
Graham, despite allowing just two runs on three hits in six innings of work, received the loss. Both Hilltopper runs came in the top of the fourth on a one-out, two-run double off the bat of first baseman Harrison Scanlon.
Senior reliever Stephen Baggett threw the final three frames, holding WKU scoreless in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, allowing UAB a final chance in the ninth to at least tie the game.
Freshman outfielder Jared Nixon drew a leadoff walk from Topper closer Sowell to begin the ninth. Nixon swiped second and scored on a Brewer Hicklen double to right-center, bringing the Blazers within one run of the tie; but Sowell induced a game-ending groundout to pick up the save.
The tale of the tape was UAB's 10 runners left on base, compared to WKU's five left on. Hicklen, Pharis and Peterson were each 2-for-4 in the game.
The rubber match of the series is set to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday at Young Memorial Field. Live stats and video are available on UABSports.com. Fans can also tune in to the game live with "The Voice of the Blazers" David Crane on WAPI-AM 1070. The broadcast begins 10 minutes before first pitch.
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball). For more on all Blazer sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
