The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Jacksonville State
UAB Baseball Drops 11-10 Slugfest to Jacksonville State
4/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An eighth-inning rally saw the UAB baseball team come up one run short of Jacksonville State on Tuesday night in Jacksonville, falling, 11-10, in the marathon game.
Trailing by seven going into the eighth inning, the Blazers plated six runs in the top of the frame to nearly pull even with the hometown Gamecocks, but JSU’s five-run seventh proved to be the difference in the end.
Brewer Hicklen put the Blazers on top, 1-0, in the first with a leadoff home run on a 0-2 pitch from Jacksonville State starting pitcher Colton Pate.
Jacksonville State put up a four-spot in the bottom of the inning, taking a 4-1 lead, on three hits against UAB starter Austin Thomas; but the Blazers answered back in the following frame. Freshman Carter Pharis homered to left, in nearly the same fashion as Hicklen on a high fly, to lead off the second. The Green and Gold then loaded the bases, and freshman Jared Nixon wore a pitch to bring home a second run.
After scoreless third and fourth innings, UAB tied the contest in the fifth with an RBI groundout from senior Griffin Gum, scoring Hicklen from third following a leadoff walk.
The Green and Gold’s lead was short-lived, however, as reliever Cory Eller gave up a two-run home run to right field to JSU shortstop Taylor Hawthorn. The dinger barely cleared the short fence in right to put the Gamecocks up, 6-4.
Between the pitching efforts of Luke Eigsti and Josh Floyd, JSU tacked on five insurance runs in the seventh to go up, 11-5. The blowout inning was topped off by a bases-clearing triple by Tyler Gamble.
The Blazers mounted their comeback effort in the top of the eighth against Gamecock reliever Grant Chandler. The right-hander walked three — all three with the bases loaded, and RBI singles from Holt Davis and Esteban Tresgallo had the JSU defense sweating. However, closing hurler Justin Hoyt came in late in the frame to record the second and third outs, and retired three of four UAB batters in the ninth to secure the win and pick up the save.
UAB posted 11 hits but left nine runners on base. Four Blazers recorded multiple hits, including senior Adam Smith. The shortstop was 2-for-3 and now has three hits in his last two games; this coming after having just one hit over his last 10 games.
The two teams are set to compete again Wednesday night at Young Memorial Field at 6:30 p.m.
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).
