The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Marshall
Marshall Tops UAB Baseball in Sunday Finale
5/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The UAB baseball team was defeated 9-5 Sunday afternoon by a hot-hitting Marshall team at Appalachian Power Park. A four-run eighth led the Thundering Herd to the sweep of the Blazers.
Marshall plated a run against Ryan Ruggles in the first, followed by four runs between the left-hander and reliever Garrett Whitlock (3-4) in the third. With two on and Whitlock fresh out of the bullpen, the Herd took advantage of two hits and an error to go ahead 5-0.
UAB made a small dent in the Marshall lead in the fourth, cutting the deficit to three runs. Senior shortstop Adam Smith lifted a fly over the wall in left to score two. The two-run homer was his first of the season and third of his career.
The Blazers tied the game, 5-5, in the sixth with some timely, two-out hits. Pinch hitter Holt Davis ripped a double to left to score Riley McCown, and second baseman Blake Johnson cued a single past the Marshall second baseman to plate Davis and Smith.
Entering his sixth inning of work, Whitlock was tagged for a one-out double as Andrew Zban scored Marshall’s go-ahead run. Right-hander Austin Thomas was called on in relief, but the Herd’s offense didn’t let up. Three more runs crossed before left-hander Adam Lamar could get warmed up and pitch the Blazers out of the frame.
Marshall’s reliever Joshua Shapiro (4-3) retired the Blazers in order in the eighth and ninth to secure the win. The loss was UAB’s fourth in a row and handed it the second road-sweep if the 2016 season.
The Blazers return home Tuesday, May 10 to host Samford at Young Memorial Field. First pitch against the Bulldogs is set for 6:30 p.m. UAB follows up the midweek contest with a three-game series against FIU.
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).
