Grand Slam Lifts UAB to Opening Night Win

Friday, February 15

Regions Field

4 p.m.

UAB

1-0

SIU-Edwardsville

0-1

SIUE

UAB

Grand Slam Lifts UAB to Opening Night Win

2/15/2019 7:29:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BIRMINGHAM – Six runs over the first three innings lifted the UAB baseball team to an 8-3 win on Opening Night against SIU-Edwardsville on Friday night at Regions Field.

UAB has won three consecutive Opening Day games, dating back to the 2016 season and will push for its third straight opening series sweep in the final two games of opening weekend set for Saturday afternoon.

"Opening Day is special and there is nothing like it," head coach Brian Shoop said. "There was lots of energy on both teams, a lot of optimism."

Riley Davis earned his first career win, throwing a career high 3.2 innings perfect innings, fanning five of the 12 batters he faced.

"I thought the game turned when Riley got in the game," Shoop said. "It was a pretty offensive game, both ways, and then Riley came in and shut the game down and turned it so we could expand the lead."

Colton Schultz led UAB at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored a RBI. The Huntsville, Ala., native recorded his 19th career multi-hit game.

Tyler Tolbert began the scoring for UAB as he reached on a leadoff error in the bottom of the first. Colton Schultz hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Tolbert to give UAB a 1-0 lead.

SIUE took its first and only lead of the game in the top of the second as Raul Elguezabal hit a two-run shot over the left field wall, giving the Cougars a 2-1 advantage.

Thomas Johns and Ian Ladner opened the second inning with consecutive, no out singles follow by a Zack Davis walk to load the bases. J Paul Fullerton made his first career hit a big one with a grand slam over the right field walk to regain the lead and push the game to 5-2, Blazers.

"That was a real jolt for J Paul in his first Blazer at bat," Shoop said. "That ball that was way out of the yard for a grand slam. That got us the lead which was good."

The Cougars tacked on another run in the top of third inning, scoring on a UAB balk, cutting UAB's lead to 5-3

The UAB scoring continued into the third inning when Schultz doubled to left center field to lead off the inning. A batter later, Johns hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Schultz, extending UAB's lead to 6-3.

UAB's final runs came in the top of the fifth inning as Ladner was hit by a pitch with bases loaded, scoring Tolbert who led off the inning with a walk. Zack Davis plated the final runs with a single into left field, plating Schultz to give UAB an 8-3 lead.

UAB and SIUE close the series on Saturday when the squads meet in a double header. Game one is set for 1 p.m. with game two to follow approximately 40 minutes after. Both games will take place at Regions Field and one ticket allows entrance into both contests.

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