The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Samford
Blazer Bats Come Alive Down I-65
5/2/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Final Stats |
Photo Gallery 
Final Stats (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB baseball team brought its bats down I-65 on Tuesday night in a big way. The Blazers topped Samford 9-3 thanks to a six-run top of the fourth inning that featured a couple of freshmen going yard. The Green & Gold improved to 20-24 while dropping the Bulldogs to 26-19 this year.
“Our freshmen are starting to get their legs,” said UAB head coach Brian Shoop. “They are adjusting to college baseball and this is an offensive park. Usually the team that gets the ball in the air here wins. We did that tonight.”
UAB fell behind in the first inning by a run but immediately tied it with an RBI double by Zack Davis the next frame to score Thomas Johns and make it 1-1 at the conclusion of two innings.
The Blazers trailed by a run entering the fourth inning but caught fire to mount a big lead. Johns opened with a home to left centerfield, his second of the season, to knot the game at 2-2. The Blazers began to pour it on at that point. Antonio Ralat battled in 12-pitch at-bat and was paid off with an error in the field that scored Price Visintainer on the play. With Ralat standing on second, Colton Schultz came to the plate and hit his first career home run to make it a 5-2 game.
The Green & Gold were not done in the fourth as they would score twice more with a pair of outs on the board. Pierce Ressmeyer and Carter Pharis each singled and they advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Brett Blackwood then drove them home with a single up the middle and pushed the UAB lead to 7-2.
The Bulldogs would threaten the next two frames but only scored one run while leaving five on-base over the fifth and sixth innings. Ryan Ruggles tallied a big strikeout with the bases loaded in the fifth and forced a pop out with runners on-base in the sixth.
Two insurance runs were picked up by UAB in an unconventional way in the seventh. Schultz struck out swinging but the ball went through the five hole of the catcher and trickled all the way to the backstop, allowing Johns to score from third base. Ralat would end up scoring on a wild pitch himself during Ressmeyer’s at-bat with the bases loaded and the Blazers boasted a 9-3 lead.
The last two innings came and went rather uneventfully with some stellar pitching by Matthew Calvert and Adam Lamar. Samford had just a single hit over the last two frames.
Schultz and Johns each finished the day with a pair of hits across four at-bats while the former had two walks and the latter one walk. Schultz had the two RBI on his first career home run and scored the one time while Johns scored three times with the one RBI on the solo shot.
Ralat was the only other Blazer to collect multiple hits and runs as he had two of each. The shortstop finished 2-for-5 at the plate.
Austin Thomas started the game for UAB and threw three innings in the no-decision. He allowed two hits, two runs, three walks, and had four strikeouts.
Ruggles earned the win in relief after hurling three frames with four hits, one walk, and one run allowed while striking out five batters, his second-highest mark this year. The junior lefty now has a record of 3-4 after picking up his first win since March 18.
Calvert added two innings of work while Lamar pitched the ninth inning. Lamar went three up, three down with one strikeout while Calvert allowed two hits and two walks while striking out one. The Blazers staff combined for 12 strikeouts, setting a new season-high.
“We’ve had trouble getting Samford out here,” said Shoop. “That was the hardest A.T. has thrown and thought that’s the best Ruggles has thrown in a long time. Calvert has quietly snuck up and been pretty good. It’s tricky because we have 18 innings this midweek, trying to keep pitch counts low enough so their back for the weekend, so it’s tricky to get through. Would’ve liked to get through tonight with just three pitchers. That’s a good win for our kids.”
UAB has a short turnaround as it hosts a midweek game tomorrow night versus Alabama State. That contest will start at 6:30 p.m. at Young Memorial Field with Tanner Graham starting for the Blazers.
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 (@UAB_Athletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uab_athletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
