The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Tuesday, March 20
Regions Field
6:30 P.M.
UAB
9-10
6
vs
4
Alabama
16-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Alabama
1
0
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
4
8
0
UAB
4
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
X
6
13
2
Offensive Outpour Lifts UAB Over Alabama
3/20/2018 11:28:00 PM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A season high 13 hits gave the UAB baseball team what it needed to defeat Alabama 6-4 on Tuesday night at Regions Field.
"We have struggled offensively so I'm just so happy for Brett Blackwood to contribute and play a role," head coach Brian Shoop said. "We have had trouble scoring runs quickly so a three-run home run was huge because it jumps you forward so far and for Brett to be able to experience that, I couldn't be more happy. We had 13 hits so it was a good offensive game, we defended well on a very wet field and the pitching staff was great."
Alabama (16-6) took a one-run lead in the opening inning of the game when Joe Breaux reached base on a fielder's choice. Breaux would come around to score four batters later on the second fielder's choice of the inning.
UAB (9-10) took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Cole Collins knocked a one-out single before advancing to second after Colton Schultz got hit by a pitch. Carter Pharis drove in Collins with a single to right field to tie the game at one.
Brett Blackwood continued the scoring in the inning as the junior hit his second career home run with a shot to deep right field to score Schultz and Pharis and give UAB a 4-1 lead.
The Blazers tacked on another run in the bottom of the second as Stephen Dobbs hit his first career triple before Tyler Tolbert tallied his fifth RBI of the season to give UAB a 5-1 lead.
The Crimson Tide cut into the UAB lead in the third inning as Chandler Taylor launched a two-run home run cutting the game to 5-3.
Alabama once again scored in the fourth inning after Matt Malkin let of the inning with a single. Two batters later, Breaux singled back to the pitcher with some small ball to score Malkin and cut UAB's lead to one.
The game was paused for a weather delay in the middle of the fourth inning at 8:20, but picked back up at 8:50.
The Crimson Tide threatened in the seventh when it got bases loaded with no outs. Ty Harris came on in relief for Kevin Davis and inherited runners on first and second. Harris hit his first batter, but induced a 5-2 fielder's choice for the first out of the inning. He stranded two more when he got Malkin to ground into the 1-2-3 inning ending double play to get out of the jam scoreless.
"The key point of the game was bases loaded with nobody out that Alabama had and Ty Harris got the force out at the plate and the 1-2-3 double play and that was the key inning. Harris showed great composure to be able to pitch out of that jam," Shoop said.
UAB tacked on one more run in the home half of the seventh. Schultz led of the frame with a single to center field and advanced 90-feet on a sacrifice bunt from Pharis. Blackwood collected his third hit of the night with another single before Thomas Johns hit a RBI single to right field to score Schultz and give the Blazers a 6-4 lead.
Matthew Calvert earned his first win of the season while Carson Jones came on to pitch the ninth inning and collect his first save. Sam Gardner took the loss for the Crimson Tide.
Blackwood was one of a plethora of offensive leaders for the Blazers. He finished the night with a career high three hits and a season high three RBI, while his home run was his first long ball since 2015.
Collins also finished the night with three hits for his fourth multi-hit game of his career. Additionally, Thomas Johns added two hits for UAB for his second consecutive game with at least two hits.
Calvert pitched lights out in relief for starter Isaiah Gonzales-Montoya. The junior reliever gave up four hits and no earned runs while striking out five batters over 3.1 innings of work.
The win marked UAB's first win over Alabama since downing the Crimson Tide 8-0 on March 22, 2016 at Regions Field.
"Tonight was a good win for our kids," Shoop said.
UAB picks back up Conference USA play this weekend when it welcomes LA Tech to Regions Field for a three-game series. The two teams are set to begin play on Friday night with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.
For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
"We have struggled offensively so I'm just so happy for Brett Blackwood to contribute and play a role," head coach Brian Shoop said. "We have had trouble scoring runs quickly so a three-run home run was huge because it jumps you forward so far and for Brett to be able to experience that, I couldn't be more happy. We had 13 hits so it was a good offensive game, we defended well on a very wet field and the pitching staff was great."
Alabama (16-6) took a one-run lead in the opening inning of the game when Joe Breaux reached base on a fielder's choice. Breaux would come around to score four batters later on the second fielder's choice of the inning.
UAB (9-10) took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Cole Collins knocked a one-out single before advancing to second after Colton Schultz got hit by a pitch. Carter Pharis drove in Collins with a single to right field to tie the game at one.
Brett Blackwood continued the scoring in the inning as the junior hit his second career home run with a shot to deep right field to score Schultz and Pharis and give UAB a 4-1 lead.
The Blazers tacked on another run in the bottom of the second as Stephen Dobbs hit his first career triple before Tyler Tolbert tallied his fifth RBI of the season to give UAB a 5-1 lead.
The Crimson Tide cut into the UAB lead in the third inning as Chandler Taylor launched a two-run home run cutting the game to 5-3.
Alabama once again scored in the fourth inning after Matt Malkin let of the inning with a single. Two batters later, Breaux singled back to the pitcher with some small ball to score Malkin and cut UAB's lead to one.
The game was paused for a weather delay in the middle of the fourth inning at 8:20, but picked back up at 8:50.
The Crimson Tide threatened in the seventh when it got bases loaded with no outs. Ty Harris came on in relief for Kevin Davis and inherited runners on first and second. Harris hit his first batter, but induced a 5-2 fielder's choice for the first out of the inning. He stranded two more when he got Malkin to ground into the 1-2-3 inning ending double play to get out of the jam scoreless.
"The key point of the game was bases loaded with nobody out that Alabama had and Ty Harris got the force out at the plate and the 1-2-3 double play and that was the key inning. Harris showed great composure to be able to pitch out of that jam," Shoop said.
UAB tacked on one more run in the home half of the seventh. Schultz led of the frame with a single to center field and advanced 90-feet on a sacrifice bunt from Pharis. Blackwood collected his third hit of the night with another single before Thomas Johns hit a RBI single to right field to score Schultz and give the Blazers a 6-4 lead.
Matthew Calvert earned his first win of the season while Carson Jones came on to pitch the ninth inning and collect his first save. Sam Gardner took the loss for the Crimson Tide.
Blackwood was one of a plethora of offensive leaders for the Blazers. He finished the night with a career high three hits and a season high three RBI, while his home run was his first long ball since 2015.
Collins also finished the night with three hits for his fourth multi-hit game of his career. Additionally, Thomas Johns added two hits for UAB for his second consecutive game with at least two hits.
Calvert pitched lights out in relief for starter Isaiah Gonzales-Montoya. The junior reliever gave up four hits and no earned runs while striking out five batters over 3.1 innings of work.
The win marked UAB's first win over Alabama since downing the Crimson Tide 8-0 on March 22, 2016 at Regions Field.
"Tonight was a good win for our kids," Shoop said.
UAB picks back up Conference USA play this weekend when it welcomes LA Tech to Regions Field for a three-game series. The two teams are set to begin play on Friday night with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.
For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Calvert, Matthew (1-0)
L: Sam Gardner (1-1)
S: Jones, Carson (1)
Batting:
2B: Joe Breaux 1
HR: Chandler Taylor 1
RBI: Chandler Taylor 2 ; Keith Holcombe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cobie Vance 1 ; Joe Breaux 1 ; Chandler Taylor 1 ; Matt Malkin 1
SB: Keith Holcombe 1
HBP: Chandler Avant 1 ; Keith Holcombe 1 ; Hunter Alexander 1 ; Cody Henry 1
Batting:
2B: Collins, Cole 1
3B: Dobbs, Stephen 1
HR: Blackwood, Brett 1
RBI: Tolbert, Tyler 1 ; Pharis, Carter 1 ; Blackwood, Brett 3 ; Johns, Thomas 1
SH: Pharis, Carter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Collins, Cole 1 ; Schultz, Colton 2 ; Pharis, Carter 1 ; Blackwood, Brett 1 ; Dobbs, Stephen 1
SB: Ralat, Antonio 1
CS: Blackwood, Brett 1
HBP: Schultz, Colton 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
1B/DH
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LHP
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RHP
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C/3B
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RHP
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1B
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RHP
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1B/3B
/ BaseballOF/1B
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INF
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