Blazers Fall at Jacksonville State

Tuesday, May 15

Jacksonville, Ala.

6:00 P.M.

UAB

20-29

Jacksonville State

27-23

UAB

Jacksonville State

Blazers Fall at Jacksonville State

5/15/2018 10:06:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

OXFORD, Ala. – The UAB baseball team closed its 2018 mid-week slate with a 7-1 loss at Jacksonville State on Tuesday night.

"What we have to do to win is hit with runners in scoring position and we are going to have to make Middle Tennessee earn everything, which we didn't do tonight," head coach Brian Shoop said. "We walked 11, the five-run inning had three walks, a wild pitch and a stolen base. All of the extra helped creates runs for other teams. Then offensively, we had a bunch of opportunities again with runners on and hit into double plays and didn't get hits at the right time. When the game was 5-0, we had more hits than Jacksonville State."

UAB (20-29) threatened in the top of the second inning as it loaded the bases with one-out grounding out into the first of its two inning-ending double plays.

Jacksonville State (27-23) struck in the bottom of the fourth inning as it batted around to score five runs on three hits to take a 5-0 lead. The Gamecocks extended their lead in the bottom of the seventh inning as a two-out single scored the sixth run of the game giving them a 6-0 lead.

Thomas Johns led off the top of the eighth inning with a solo shot to right centerfield to put the Blazers on the scoreboard, making the contest 6-1.

Jacksonville State countered Johns' home run with another two-out RBI single for the game's final run.

Isaiah Gonzales-Montoya (2-2) took the loss for the Blazers as he went 0.2 innings and allowed four runs on one hit with three walks and a strikeout.

The Blazers' arms issued a season-high 11 walks, marking the second time in the last four games that UAB has given up 10 or more free passes.

Johns led UAB at the plate with a career-high three hits, highlighted by his third home run of the season and his second career stolen base.

With a spot in the Conference USA Tournament on the line, the Blazers return to Young Memorial Field for a three-game series against Middle Tennessee, beginning Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Game two will follow on Friday at 6:30 p.m. with game three and Senior Day set for Saturday at 1 p.m.

"We have a really important weekend with an opportunity to accomplish one of the goals of the year which is to get the program back to the conference tournament," Shoop said. "I know there will be a ton of excitement at Young Memorial Field this weekend and in our dugout. Our pitchers have plenty good enough of stuff, we just have to attack and pound the zone. Our hitters have proven good enough in the second half of the season, so they just have to get hits at the right time. I know the energy and focus will be there. Those will have to be the things that happen for us to keep playing the following week in Biloxi and I'm going to believe that it's going to happen."

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