Late Innings Comeback Leads No. 9 Auburn Over UAB

Tuesday, March 6

Regions Field

6:30 P.M.

UAB

5-6

Auburn

13-0

Auburn

UAB

Late Innings Comeback Leads No. 9 Auburn Over UAB

3/6/2018 11:43:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Six runs in the first six innings was not enough as the UAB baseball team fell 11-8 to No. 9 Auburn on Tuesday night at Regions Field.

"It was a really good game," head coach Brian Shoop said. "I thought our kids played great. I think we will be better in the long run by playing the last four games against really high quality teams. We played both teams head to head."

UAB (5-6) struck early in the first innings as Zack Davis hit a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Tyler Tolbert who led off the inning with getting hit by a pitch to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.

Auburn (13-0) claimed its first lead of the game an inning later in the second scoring two runs on one hit with one error by the Blazers.

Neither team scored in the third, but the fourth inning was a big one for the Green and Gold. Carter Pharis gave UAB its first homerun of the season as he led off the frame with a shot off the scoreboard in deep center field to tie the game at three.

Thomas Johns and Colton Schultz followed the homer with consecutive walks before Cole Collins grabbed his first career hit, a bunt single down the third base line, to load the bases with no outs. Stephen Dobbs drew a walk to score Johns from third putting the Blazers back ahead, 3-2. Antonio Ralat hit a RBI single to right center field to score Schultz and give UAB a 4-2 lead.

UAB came around to score two more times again in the fifth. Zack Davis reached on a leadoff error by the Tigers' shortstop and advanced to second on the play. Pharis hit his second RBI of in as many innings with a single to left field scoring Zack Davis and extending the Blazers' lead to three. Dobbs hit a double down the left field line to score Pharis and give UAB a 6-2 comfortable lead.

The Tigers answered in the sixth as Jay Estes hit a two-out double down the left field line before Edouard Julien hit Auburn's second consecutive double to score Estes and put the Tigers back within three runs.

Tolbert led off the sixth inning with a single and then stole his seventh base of the season before Price Visintainer flied out to center field to move Tolbert up 90-feet. Zack Davis hit the Blazers' second homerun of the game, scoring Tolbert, to give UAB an 8-3 lead.

Not to be denied, the No. 9 Tigers proceeded to score eight runs over the final three innings, including hitting a three-run homerun in the seventh and eighth innings to complete the comeback and down the Blazers 11-8.

Corey Herndon earned his first win of the season while Cody Greenhill picked up his third save. Ty Harris was credited with the loss for the Blazers.

Pharis led the Blazers offensively going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBI and a walk. Additionally, Cole Collins finished the night 2-for-2 from the plate with two walks and was the only Blazer to reach base safely in every at-bat tonight.

UAB continues its eight game homestand this weekend when it welcomes Milwaukee to Regions Field for a three-game series. The first game is slated for Friday at 4 p.m.

For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).