Blazers Fall in Series Opener

Friday, March 29

Ruston, LA

6 P.M.

UAB

12-15, 1-6

Louisiana Tech

15-10, 3-4

UAB

Louisiana Tech

Blazers Fall in Series Opener

3/29/2019 9:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

RUSTON, La. – In a dual between the pitching staffs it was Louisiana Tech who walked away with the 3-2 victory over the UAB baseball team in game one of the series on Friday night in Ruston.

The two pitching staffs allowed a combined five runs on 11 hits with just five arms used. There was a total of four errors in the game, with the Blazers being responsible for three of them.

"I'm proud of the effort," head coach Brian Shoop said. "I told our kids coming into the weekend that this was going to be a war, this is two really good teams, and tonight was a battle. It was a dog fight and they won round one, hopefully we can win round two tomorrow."

Graham Ashcraft (1-3) took the loss on the mound for the Blazers, allowing all three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks issued. Matthew Calvert was lights out in relief, coming into the game in the sixth inning, inheriting runners on the corner with one out. The senior worked out of the jam and proceeded to toss 2.2 perfect innings with a strikeout.

Tyler Tolbert led UAB at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a RBI. Ian Ladner also had a strong day offensively, recording a sacrifice fly RBI and a double to extend the sophomore's hitting streak to five games.

Louisiana Tech (15-10, 3-4 C-USA) took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning converting on a leadoff double off the bat of Mason Robinson who would come around to score on the second Bulldog hit of the inning with a one out single, giving Louisiana Tech a 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs added another run in the bottom of the thing inning as Robinson's second hit scored Mason Mallard, pushing the game to 2-0.

The Blazers tied the game in the top of the fourth inning after Colton Schultz, Zack Davis and Carter Pharis all drew walks to lead off the inning. Ladner hit a deep sacrifice fly to the warning track in center field, scoring Schultz and pushed Davis to third to cut the Bulldog lead to one. Tolbert followed with a single up the middle, advancing Davis home to knot the game at 2-2.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the home half of the fourth inning as Mallard knocked a single into center field, scoring Taylor Young, making the contest 3-2.

The Blazers threatened in the top of the ninth inning as Tolbert doubled of the wall in centerfield to lead off the frame. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third, but in a throw down to first on a strikeout Tolbert belted for home and was caught stealing, ending the inning and the threat.

"When it is a battle there is a fine line between winning and losing," Shoop said. "We gave up an unearned run and lose by one. We got first and third with one out in the eighth so you have a great shot to tie it there, Colton (Schultz) hit a ball really well to left center. Then we got a guy to third base with one out in the ninth and a bang-bang play at the plate that could have gone either way, I am not sure if he was out or safe, was called an out, so you were literally millimeters away from a tie game."

UAB (12-15, 1-6 C-USA) and Louisiana Tech will play game two on Saturday at 12 p.m. The originally scheduled 2 p.m. contest has been moved up due to the threat of weather in the Ruston area.

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