The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Friday, April 20
Regions Field
6:30 P.M.
UAB
16-20, 8-8
5
vs
13
WKU
18-19, 8-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
WKU
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
3
13
20
0
UAB
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
5
11
4
WKU Takes Game One
4/20/2018 10:56:00 PM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The eighth inning woes continued for the UAB baseball team on Friday night as the Blazers fell 13-5 to WKU at Regions Field.
UAB has surrendered 14 runs while scoring just two in its previous three games in the eighth inning and has tallied a 1-2 record in those contests.
"The score makes it look like it was a lopsided game, but it really wasn't," head coach Brian Shoop said. "The game was 2-2 through seven innings, we had two bases loaded opportunities in those innings and if we could have pushed those across then it is probably a different game."
WKU (18-19, 8-8 C-USA) scored in the top of the first inning as it plated two runs on four hits to lead 2-0 after the opening frame.
UAB (16-20, 8-8 C-USA) responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the first. Tyler Tolbert drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch before swiping his 19th base of the season to stand on third with no outs. Cole Collins knocked his third career double to score Tolbert as the Blazers trailed by one.
Colton Schultz flied out to center field to move Collins to third before a wild pitch from Hilltopper starter Ryan Thurston scored Collins and knotted the game at two.
The game remained tied at two until the eighth inning when the Hilltoppers plated eight runs on eight hits, highlighted by a no-out grand slam as they took a 10-2 lead.
"We just couldn't get WKU out in the eighth," Shoop said. "The game got away from us at that point."
The Blazers led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a Stephen Dobbs' single into right field. Thomas Johns hit his team-best ninth double into right center field to score Dobbs and make the game 10-3.
Tolbert continued the inning when he reached base for the second time in the contest with a RBI single into right field to score Johns and cut the Hilltoppers' lead to eight.
UAB managed to get two quick outs to begin the top of the ninth inning before committing their third error of the night allowing the frame to continue. The Hilltopper would go on to push three more runs across the plate on four hits to lead 13-4 going into the bottom of the ninth.
Jim Jeffries collected his first RBI of the season with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to score Schultz who led off the inning with a single up the middle to give the game its final 13-5 score.
Michael Martin (2-1) earned his first win of the season for the Hilltoppers while Tanner Graham (3-4) suffered his fourth loss of the year for the Blazers.
Brett Blackwood and Johns collected two hits apiece for the Blazers earning their eighth and sixth multi-hit games of the season, respectively.
The two squads wrap up the series with a double header on Saturday. The first game is slated for 2 p.m. at Regions Field followed by the second game 75 minutes later at Young Memorial Field.
"We have about 12 hours to get our minds cleared and we better because tomorrow is very important," Shoop said.
For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
UAB has surrendered 14 runs while scoring just two in its previous three games in the eighth inning and has tallied a 1-2 record in those contests.
"The score makes it look like it was a lopsided game, but it really wasn't," head coach Brian Shoop said. "The game was 2-2 through seven innings, we had two bases loaded opportunities in those innings and if we could have pushed those across then it is probably a different game."
WKU (18-19, 8-8 C-USA) scored in the top of the first inning as it plated two runs on four hits to lead 2-0 after the opening frame.
UAB (16-20, 8-8 C-USA) responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the first. Tyler Tolbert drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch before swiping his 19th base of the season to stand on third with no outs. Cole Collins knocked his third career double to score Tolbert as the Blazers trailed by one.
Colton Schultz flied out to center field to move Collins to third before a wild pitch from Hilltopper starter Ryan Thurston scored Collins and knotted the game at two.
The game remained tied at two until the eighth inning when the Hilltoppers plated eight runs on eight hits, highlighted by a no-out grand slam as they took a 10-2 lead.
"We just couldn't get WKU out in the eighth," Shoop said. "The game got away from us at that point."
The Blazers led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a Stephen Dobbs' single into right field. Thomas Johns hit his team-best ninth double into right center field to score Dobbs and make the game 10-3.
Tolbert continued the inning when he reached base for the second time in the contest with a RBI single into right field to score Johns and cut the Hilltoppers' lead to eight.
UAB managed to get two quick outs to begin the top of the ninth inning before committing their third error of the night allowing the frame to continue. The Hilltopper would go on to push three more runs across the plate on four hits to lead 13-4 going into the bottom of the ninth.
Jim Jeffries collected his first RBI of the season with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to score Schultz who led off the inning with a single up the middle to give the game its final 13-5 score.
Michael Martin (2-1) earned his first win of the season for the Hilltoppers while Tanner Graham (3-4) suffered his fourth loss of the year for the Blazers.
Brett Blackwood and Johns collected two hits apiece for the Blazers earning their eighth and sixth multi-hit games of the season, respectively.
The two squads wrap up the series with a double header on Saturday. The first game is slated for 2 p.m. at Regions Field followed by the second game 75 minutes later at Young Memorial Field.
"We have about 12 hours to get our minds cleared and we better because tomorrow is very important," Shoop said.
For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Michael Martin (2-1)
L: Graham, Tanner (3-4)
Batting:
2B: Colin Butkiewicz 1 ; Nick Brunson 1
HR: Kevin Lambert 1
RBI: Colie Currie 1 ; Ray Zuberer III 3 ; Colin Butkiewicz 3 ; Nick Brunson 1 ; Kevin Lambert 4
SH: Luke Brown 1 ; Nick Brunson 1
SF: Ray Zuberer III 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Steven Kraft 3 ; Jacob Rhinesmith 1 ; Colie Currie 2 ; Ray Zuberer III 1 ; Luke Brown 1 ; Colin Butkiewicz 1 ; Tyler Robertson 1 ; Nick Brunson 2 ; Kevin Lambert 1
CS: Luke Brown 1
Batting:
2B: Collins, Cole 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1
RBI: Tolbert, Tyler 1 ; Collins, Cole 1 ; Jeffries, Jim 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tolbert, Tyler 1 ; Collins, Cole 1 ; Schultz, Colton 1 ; Dobbs, Stephen 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1
SB: Tolbert, Tyler 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
1b/3b
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
cf/ss
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
rf/lf
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
1B/DH
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
C/3B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball1B
/ Baseball
OF/1B
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballThe Gold Helmet Is Back
Friday, September 26
Coffee with Coach | 2025 Week 6
Friday, September 19
Coffee with Coach | 2025 Week 4
Tuesday, September 16
UAB Athletics Live Stream
Monday, September 15
