The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Troy
Blazers Lose to Troy 4-2
2/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Final Stats (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB baseball team was unable to climb out of an early hole Wednesday night as it fell to Troy 4-2. The Blazers, who recently received votes in the latest NCBWA Top 30, fall to 5-3 on the season while the Trojans improve to that mark.
Troy had three consecutive hits in the top of the first inning after the first out of the game with the final hit coming from Trevor Davis, who blasted the ball over the left field wall for a three-run home run.
An insurance run by Troy was scored in the top of the fifth inning but Dylan Munger escaped the frame with a big strikeout on a 2-2 count with runners on second and third base. The visitors led 4-0 at that point.
The Trojans relied on starter Austin Crook to maintain the lead, as he limited the Blazer bats to three hits over the first six innings.
“He threw three pitches for strikes,” said UAB head coach Brian Shoop. “He moved it all-around the zone and kept us off-balanced. He did a great job and we had trouble getting on time and trouble centering him up."
UAB did find a bright spot in the loss. In the seventh inning, Brandon Lockridge blasted a ball to right field that seemed destined to bounce into the corner. Right fielder Luke Eigsti had other thoughts as he made a full extension, diving catch for the final out of the inning.
The Blazers followed with success against Crook in the bottom half of the frame. A number of pinch hitting efforts paid off for Shoop as Colton Schultz, Pierce Ressmeyer and Zack Davis all came out of the dugout in three consecutive at-bats and reached base. Crooks was pulled before the Davis at-bat and made way for Corey Childress. Blake Johnson then delivered a two RBI single down the left field line to plate Schultz and Ressmeyer and cut the deficit to 4-2.
“We just tried to get something going,” said Shoop. “Six innings of nothing, not really even threatening. Just tried to get something going.”
UAB failed to get a hit in the final two innings to fall in its second straight game.
The Trojans outhit the Blazers seven to six while the Blazers committed the only error in the contest.
Eigsti finished the game 1-for-2 at the plate while Johnson also finished with the same line. It was Eigsti’s first hit of the season while Johnson plated his first two runners of the year.
Crook earned the win and finished with a line of 6.2 innings, five hits allowed, two runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. Ryan Fultz was credited with the save after pitching the final inning and allowing no base runners.
Kyle Davis earned the loss in his first start of 2017. The sophomore left the game after four innings allowing four hits, three runs, three walks, and striking out three.
The relief pitchers Munger and Thomas Lowery each played well over the final five innings. The two allowed no walks and only three hits combined while retiring four on strikes.
The Blazers are slated to play tomorrow against Alabama State at Young Memorial Field. First pitch is scheduled to be at 6:30 p.m., with Isaiah Gonzales-Montoya on the bump. The Hornets won last week’s meeting between the two teams 7-2 in Montgomery, Ala. This game is a make-up of a game originally scheduled for last Tuesday at Regions Field.
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