The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Saturday, April 28
Boca Raton, Fla.
TBA
UAB
18-22, 0
8
at
2
Florida Atlantic
30-11-1, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
UAB
1
3
0
1
0
0
3
0
0
8
16
1
Florida Atlantic
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
7
1
Ruggles Shines As UAB Splits Saturday's Doubleheader
4/28/2018 7:37:00 PM | Baseball
BOCA RATON, Fla. – After falling in game one 5-3, a dominant outing from starting pitcher Ryan Ruggles propelled the UAB baseball team to an 8-2 win in game two as the Blazers split Saturday's doubleheader against No. 22 Florida Atlantic at the FAU Baseball Stadium.
Game One
UAB scored first in the top of third inning as Price Visintainer, Colton Schultz and Tyler Tolbert strung together consecutive two-out singles with Tolbert's being hit hard enough up the middle to score Visintainer and give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
Florida Atlantic responded in the bottom of the third inning as it hit a three-run home run over the left field wall to take a 3-1 lead.
The Owls tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as a two-out double off the bat of Joe Montes scored Jared DeSantolo and Jordan Poore stretching the lead to 5-1.
Brett Blackwood cut the Owl lead to three in the top of the sixth inning as the senior launched his fifth home run of the season to make the game. 5-3.
Jake Miednik earned his sixth win of the season for the owls as the starter went 7.0 innings and allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Zach Schneider pitched the ninth inning and retired the side en route to collecting his 13th save of the season.
Tanner Graham (3-5) took the loss for the Blazers as the junior went 6.1 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits with three walks.
Visintainer and Tolbert led the Blazers offensively as both went 2-for-4 with a RBI and Visitintainer added a run scored.
Game Two
UAB once again jumped on the board first, this time getting a lead it would not relinquish. After Blackwood hit a two-out single to second base in the top of the first inning, Thomas Johns singled into left field to score Blackwood and give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
Antonio Ralat hit a one-out double down the left field line in the second inning followed by a Visintainer infield single to move Ralat to third. Tolbert fouled out to first base for the second out of the inning, but Cole Collins knocked the third UAB hit of the frame through the left side to score Ralat and make the game 2-0.
Blackwood kept the inning alive with his second hit of the contest doubling to left center field to score Visintainer and Collins and increase UAB's lead to 4-0.
Florida Atlantic led off the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run to left center field to cut the lead the two. The Owls plated their second and final run of the game on a throwing error to make the game 4-2.
UAB added another run in the top of the fourth inning after Ralat singled into left field for his second hit of the game before Visintainer doubled down the left field line to score Ralat and make the game 5-2.
After a ground out began the top of the seventh inning, Pharis unloaded on his fifth home run of the season with a solo blast over the left field wall to extend the lead back to three. One pitch later, Johns hit another ball over the left field wall for his second home run of the season to make the game 7-2.
Schultz hit the third hit of the inning with a single into left field as Dobbs followed with the fourth consecutive hit singling into center field. After Visintainer was hit by a pitch to reach base for the third time and load the bases, a wild pitch got away from the Owls' catcher allowing Schultz to score from third and made the game 8-2.
Ruggles earned the starting nod in game two and was dominant for the Blazers as at one point retiring 14 consecutive Owl hitters. The streak ended with a leadoff walk in the ninth inning as it also ended the senior's day. The Sheffield, Ala., native went a season-high 8.0 innings and allowed just one earned run on six hits with a career-best 10 strikeouts.
Ruggles became the first UAB pitcher to strikeout at least 10 batters since James Naile accomplished it on May 8, 2015 at FIU.
The win marked UAB's first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 14 Auburn, 8-2, at Regions Field on May 9, 2017. It was the Blazers first victory over a ranked opponent on the road since downing No. 25 Rice, 6-2, on April 9, 2016.
Six blazers recorded multi-hit games in the contest led by Ralat who recorded a career-high three hits on five at bats with a career-best two runs scored.
Visintainer also stayed hot in game two going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. The senior has recorded multi-hit games in each of the last four contests dating back to the WKU series.
The Blazers and Owls will square off in the rubber match on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT. at the FAU Baseball Complex.
For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
Game One
UAB scored first in the top of third inning as Price Visintainer, Colton Schultz and Tyler Tolbert strung together consecutive two-out singles with Tolbert's being hit hard enough up the middle to score Visintainer and give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
Florida Atlantic responded in the bottom of the third inning as it hit a three-run home run over the left field wall to take a 3-1 lead.
The Owls tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as a two-out double off the bat of Joe Montes scored Jared DeSantolo and Jordan Poore stretching the lead to 5-1.
Brett Blackwood cut the Owl lead to three in the top of the sixth inning as the senior launched his fifth home run of the season to make the game. 5-3.
Jake Miednik earned his sixth win of the season for the owls as the starter went 7.0 innings and allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Zach Schneider pitched the ninth inning and retired the side en route to collecting his 13th save of the season.
Tanner Graham (3-5) took the loss for the Blazers as the junior went 6.1 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits with three walks.
Visintainer and Tolbert led the Blazers offensively as both went 2-for-4 with a RBI and Visitintainer added a run scored.
Game Two
UAB once again jumped on the board first, this time getting a lead it would not relinquish. After Blackwood hit a two-out single to second base in the top of the first inning, Thomas Johns singled into left field to score Blackwood and give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
Antonio Ralat hit a one-out double down the left field line in the second inning followed by a Visintainer infield single to move Ralat to third. Tolbert fouled out to first base for the second out of the inning, but Cole Collins knocked the third UAB hit of the frame through the left side to score Ralat and make the game 2-0.
Blackwood kept the inning alive with his second hit of the contest doubling to left center field to score Visintainer and Collins and increase UAB's lead to 4-0.
Florida Atlantic led off the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run to left center field to cut the lead the two. The Owls plated their second and final run of the game on a throwing error to make the game 4-2.
UAB added another run in the top of the fourth inning after Ralat singled into left field for his second hit of the game before Visintainer doubled down the left field line to score Ralat and make the game 5-2.
After a ground out began the top of the seventh inning, Pharis unloaded on his fifth home run of the season with a solo blast over the left field wall to extend the lead back to three. One pitch later, Johns hit another ball over the left field wall for his second home run of the season to make the game 7-2.
Schultz hit the third hit of the inning with a single into left field as Dobbs followed with the fourth consecutive hit singling into center field. After Visintainer was hit by a pitch to reach base for the third time and load the bases, a wild pitch got away from the Owls' catcher allowing Schultz to score from third and made the game 8-2.
Ruggles earned the starting nod in game two and was dominant for the Blazers as at one point retiring 14 consecutive Owl hitters. The streak ended with a leadoff walk in the ninth inning as it also ended the senior's day. The Sheffield, Ala., native went a season-high 8.0 innings and allowed just one earned run on six hits with a career-best 10 strikeouts.
Ruggles became the first UAB pitcher to strikeout at least 10 batters since James Naile accomplished it on May 8, 2015 at FIU.
The win marked UAB's first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 14 Auburn, 8-2, at Regions Field on May 9, 2017. It was the Blazers first victory over a ranked opponent on the road since downing No. 25 Rice, 6-2, on April 9, 2016.
Six blazers recorded multi-hit games in the contest led by Ralat who recorded a career-high three hits on five at bats with a career-best two runs scored.
Visintainer also stayed hot in game two going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. The senior has recorded multi-hit games in each of the last four contests dating back to the WKU series.
The Blazers and Owls will square off in the rubber match on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT. at the FAU Baseball Complex.
For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ruggles, Ryan (1-2)
L: Coletti (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Blackwood, Brett 1 ; Ralat, Antonio 1 ; Visintainer, Price 1
HR: Pharis, Carter 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1
RBI: Collins, Cole 1 ; Blackwood, Brett 2 ; Pharis, Carter 1 ; Johns, Thomas 2 ; Visintainer, Price 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Collins, Cole 1 ; Blackwood, Brett 1 ; Pharis, Carter 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1 ; Schultz, Colton 1 ; Ralat, Antonio 2 ; Visintainer, Price 1
SB: Tolbert, Tyler 1
HBP: Visintainer, Price 1
Batting:
HR: Rivera 1
RBI: Rivera 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rivera 1 ; Lambert 1
SB: Johnson 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
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