Tolbert Homers In Loss to Jacksonville State

Tuesday, February 26

Regions Field

4 p.m.

UAB

6-2

Jacksonville State

3-5

Jacksonville State

UAB

Tolbert Homers In Loss to Jacksonville State

2/26/2019 8:20:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BIRMINGHAM – The UAB baseball team suffered just its second loss of the season as it fell 5-3 to Jacksonville State on Tuesday night at Regions Field.

UAB (6-2) was outhit by Jacksonville State 12-to-8, marking the first time this season the Blazers have been outhit by their opponent.

"I thought it was a good game," head coach Brian Shoop said. "It was a good college game, well played. We got a great start out of Tyler O'Clair in his first college start, which is exciting. I thought we played good, but Jacksonville State played great tonight. They didn't walk a single hitter, kept our leadoff hitter off base every inning but one, and made it a tough go. It was a good college game, but they played a little better than we did."

Tyler Tolbert provided the offense, recording his first career home run with an inside the park homer to left center field.

Carter Pharis chipped in with a team high two hits, recording his second multi-hit game of the season and team best 55th of his career. The senior also added a scored a run.

Nathan Anthes also recorded a pair of hits, setting a career high for the redshirt junior. The catcher also turned in his first career RBI as he made his inaugural start of the season.

On the mound, Matthew Calvert suffered the loss, his first of the season, going 2.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts. Tyler O'Clair was phenomenal in his first career start, lasting 4.0 innings and allowed no runs on just three hits with a pair of strikeouts.

UAB got on the board first as J Paul Fullerton reached base on a one-out single and advanced to second on the throw into the infield in the bottom of the second inning. A Jacksonville State error moved Fullerton to third, before Anthes singled through the left side to score Fullerton and put the Blazers ahead 1-0.

Pharis led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single through the right side and followed that with his first stolen base of the year. A throwing error on the Gamecock catcher moved Pharis to third as the senior would score two batters later on an infield groundout to push the lead to 2-0.

Jacksonville State (3-5) took the lead in the top of the fifth inning as Cole Whitman entered the game in relief for the Blazers and allowed consecutive hits before a ground ound to the second baseman scored the first Gamecock run. The second Gamecock double of the inning scored the second run, before a sacrifice fly to left field plated the third run to give Jacksonville State a 3-2 lead.

Tolbert scored UAB's final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with his home run to tie the game at three.

The Gamecocks took a lead in the top of the seventh inning as they strung together consecutive two-out hits to take a 4-3 advantage.

The final run of the game came on a two-out bases loaded walk to give Jacksonville State the 5-3 win.

UAB returns to the diamond on Wednesday night when it travels to Montgomery to face Alabama State. First pitch between the Blazers and Hornets is set for 6 p.m. from the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex. Tickets to the game can be purchased at the entrance to the facility, while fans are asked to remember Alabama State's strictly enforced clear bag policy.

Fans can receive admission into every home baseball, softball and women's basketball game for the entire 2019 season for $65 by purchasing a Gold Card. Contact the UAB Ticket Office, (205) 975-UAB1, for more details.

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