The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Rice
UAB Baseball Tops No. 25 Rice 6-2 Saturday
4/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HOUSTON, Texas - A four-hit performance by Brewer Hicklen and strong start from left-hander Ryan Ruggles led the UAB baseball team to a 6-2 victory over No. 25 Rice Saturday afternoon in Houston.
The four-run win over the Owls (19-11, 8-3 C-USA) marked the second win over a ranked opponent for UAB in 2016 (3/22 vs. No. 22 Alabama). It is the first road victory of the year for the Blazers (12-19, 4-7 C-USA). The win also snapped a four-game losing streak for UAB, dating back to its 2-0 win over Western Kentucky at Young Memorial Field last Saturday.
Hicklen continued his hot streak at the plate, going 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. The redshirt freshman is now 6-for-8 in two games against the Owls and is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak.
Ruggles (4-2) commanded the Rice lineup from the mound and earned the win, allowing just four hits over 5.2 innings of work. The sophomore struck out four batters while giving up just two walks.
The Green and Gold snagged an early 1-0 lead in the first against Rice's Blake Fox (2-5). A Hicklen single and Esteban Tresgallo double set up an RBI groundout for Carter Pharis.
The Blazers tacked on four more runs in the sixth and seventh innings against the Conference USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Fox tossed seven innings, charged for four earned runs of five scored against him. The barrage of UAB runs began with a Hicklen leadoff triple to left to begin the sixth. Gum and Pharis eached picked up their second RBIs of the day in the frame. Gum singled a run home and Phris brought the other home with a sac fly.
Mitch Williams began the two-run seventh with a one-out single. Hicklen laced a single up the middle to bring Williams around, and a throwing error allowed Hicklen to score.
The Owls made a charge toward the Blazers' lead in the sixth with a couple of runs - pulling within one run of a tie - but the following inning's runs and a run in the ninth helped put Rice away. Closer Thomas Lowery threw the final 3.1 innings en route to his fourth save of the year.
The rubber match of the series is set for 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Adam Lamar is scheduled to start for the Blazers. Right-hander Ricardo Salinas is expected to get the start for Rice.
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