Blazers Fall In Game Three

Sunday, May 6

Young Memorial Field

1:00 P.M.

UAB

19-26, 11-13

Southern Miss

35-12, 19-4

Southern Miss

UAB

Blazers Fall In Game Three

5/6/2018 5:48:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two big innings was all the Golden Eagles needed as No. 11 Southern Miss completed a three-game sweep with a 9-4 win over the UAB baseball team on Sunday afternoon at Young Memorial Field.

The two squads began their rivalry in 1980 and Sunday's sweep marked the first time in program history that the Golden Eagles took all three from the Blazers in Birmingham.

"Southern Miss is the 11th ranked team in the country, the best team we've played and what I think is the best team in our conference and you have to play really well to beat that caliber of a team," head coach Brian Shoop said. "We walked seven and made five errors so we didn't have a chance really."

Southern Miss (35-12, 19-4) struck first in the second inning as it scored six runs on four hits highlighted by an Erick Hoard two-run home run over the left centerfield wall to take a 6-0 lead.

"There was a really big play in this game, like yesterday, where we had a pretty routine double play in the second inning, which we've been good at, and didn't turn it and that's followed up by a walk and a double that turns into a six-run inning and so we had to play down six," Shoop said. "What you have to say about kids, which is great is that we lost two, got down 6-0 and I thought we were the team that was on the aggressions after that."

UAB (19-26, 11-13) got one-run back in the bottom of the second inning as Stephen Dobbs and Thomas Johns laced consecutive leadoff singles. One batter later, Price Visintainer grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Dobbs and made the game 6-1.

In the bottom of the third inning Colton Schultz hit a one-out single before advancing 90-feet on a Brett Blackwood groundout. Carter Pharis hit the second single of the frame into left field to score Schultz as UAB trailed 6-2.

The Blazers continued to try to make a comeback in the fourth inning as Johns hit his second single of the game into right centerfield. Visitainer doubled to right centerfield to move Johns to third before Antonio Ralat hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Johns and make the contest 6-3.

Schultz reached base for the second time in the game with a one-out walk in the fifth inning. One batter later, Pharis roped his third RBI of the series into left field with a double to score Schultz to cut the game to 6-4.

The Golden Eagles got insurance runs in the top of the ninth as they plated three runs on one hit with two UAB errors to take the game 9-4.

Keller Bradford (1-1) earned the win for the Golden Eagles as he went 1.2 innings in relief and allowed no runs on two hits with a strikeout.

Tyler Gates (4-2) took the loss for the Blazers going 3.1 innings with six runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks issued. Matthew Calvert came in in relief of Gates and no hit Southern Miss in 3.1 innings with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.

The Blazers outhit the Golden Eagles 11-9 marking the 14th game this season UAB has outhit its opponent. However, Southern Miss issued just one walk to the Blazers' seven and committed no errors to UAB's five.

"We out hit Southern Miss, we outscored them until the ninth, we got it to a 6-4 game and so nobody can accuse our kids of quitting because they hung in there and battled back and got within striking distance," Shoop said. "We had a legitimate shot, but ultimately to beat this caliber of a team you have to beat the game of baseball itself and you have to play a clean game. I told our kids that we went down to Hattiesburg a few years ago in the Conference USA Tournament and (James) Naile and (Thomas) Lowery shut Southern Miss out because they didn't walk anybody, we took the game to them. If you're going to give Southern Miss 12 free runners you're not going to overcome that."

Pharis led the Blazers at the plate going 2-for-4 with two RBI as he turned in his second multi-hit game of the series and 23rd career multi-RBI contest.

Johns, Visintainer and Ralat also tallied a pair of hits as Johns added a run scored while Visintainer and Ralat added one RBI apiece.

The Blazers take almost a week off before returning to the diamond in a crucial C-USA matchup at Rice. First pitch between UAB and the Owls on Friday is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Reckling Park.

"The bad news is that we got swept, the good thing is we control our own fate," Shoop said. "If we play well at Rice and back here against Middle Tennessee we're in the tournament and maybe with another opportunity to play Southern Miss. I will maintain that as good as Southern Miss is we can beat them if we play a clean game."

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