Middle Tennessee Takes Game One

Thursday, May 17

Young Memorial Field

6:30 P.M.

UAB

20-30, 12-16

Middle Tennessee

26-26-1, 15-15-1

Middle Tennessee

UAB

Middle Tennessee Takes Game One

5/17/2018 11:04:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Big inning woes continued for the Blazers as the UAB baseball team gave up four runs in the second inning as it fell 7-4 to Middle Tennessee on Thursday night at Young Memorial Field.

"That was a long game," head coach Brian Shoop said. "Tanner (Graham) has been really, really good for us at times this year, he's had some great outings, but kids aren't perfect and he was not tonight. He was in the middle of the zone and found a lot of barrels. Credit to Middle Tennessee for hitting a lot of balls hard. We were playing out of a hole again and we couldn't climb out."

Middle Tennessee's (26-26-1, 11-16 -1) big second inning saw four runs cross the plate on five hits with a pair of UAB errors as the Blue Raiders highlighted the second inning with back-to-back home runs as it took a 4-0 lead.

The Blue Raiders tacked another run on the board in the top of the third inning as a double down the right field line scored the fifth run of the game and made the contest 5-0.

UAB (20-30, 11-18) struck in the bottom of the third inning as Colton Schultz doubled to right field to score Tyler Tolbert who led off the frame with a walk and cut the Blue Raider lead to 5-1.

The Blazers scored another run in the bottom of the fourth as Stephen Dobbs reached home on a throwing error by the Blue Raider shortstop to cut the game to 5-2.

The Blue Raiders blasted their third home run of the game as Kevin Sullivan hit his second shot of the night to get the lead back to four at 6-2 in the top of the fifth inning.

Carter Pharis led off the seventh inning with a walk and swiped his second and third bases of the game before Dobbs singled to center field to score Pharis and put the Blazers within three.

Thomas Johns continued the inning with a RBI double to center field to score Dobbs and make the game 6-4.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Blue Raiders pushed their seventh run of the contest across the plate on the third UAB error of the night making the game 7-4.

Tanner Graham (3-8) took the loss for the Blazers after giving up six runs on a season-high 13 hits with one walk and just three strikeouts.

Jake Wyrick earned the win for the Blue Raiders as he went 6.0 innings and allowed just two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts.

Cousins Dobbs and Tolbert led UAB at the plate with two hits each. Dobbs went 2-for-4 and added a RBI and two runs scored in his 12th career multi-hit game.

Pharis finished the night 1-for-3 with a run scored and a career-best three stolen bases as he also drew two walks.

The two teams will meet for game two on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Young Memorial Field.

"Tonight put a lot of pressure on us and I think (Ryan) Ruggles will give us a great start and a great chance," Shoop said.

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