The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
9-5
Ole Miss
10-3
Second Inning Pushes No. 10 Rebels Over Blazers In Game One
3/8/2019 7:47:00 PM | Baseball
UAB (9-5) launched a season high three home runs in the loss, but the Blazers' pitching staff allowed a season high in runs and hits (15).
"Most nights nine runs and 12 hits is going to be a good result, just not tonight," head coach Brian Shoop said. "We just could not get them out and that is a really good them that got on a roll and that is hard to stop sometimes and that was the case tonight. Good by them and we will let Tyler O'Clair get a shot tomorrow."
Thomas Johns and Colton Schultz both led UAB with three hits each, while tallying a home run and a double. Johns matched his career in hits and RBIs (3), while also adding a run scored and was hit by a pitch. Schultz turned in his fourth game with three hits this season, while he too added a pair of RBIs and three runs scored.
J Paul Fullerton was the other Blazer to have a multi-hit night, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored.
UAB struck in the top of the first inning as the Rebels committed consecutive one out errors to put Jess Davis and Schultz on base before hitting Fullerton to load the bases for Carter Pharis who grounded out, deep enough to scored Davis and give UAB a 1-0 lead. A batter later, Johns hit a two RBI single through the right side, scoring Schultz and Fullerton and pushing the Blazers advantage to 3-0.
Ole Miss grabbed a run back in the home half of the first inning as Tyler Keenan hit a sacrifice fly into center field, to give the Rebels their first run of the game.
The Rebels did their damage in the bottom of the second inning, scoring nine runs on nine hits as they batted around the order and hit a pair of home runs to take a commanding 10-3 lead.
Fullerton gave UAB another run in the top of the third inning with his solo shot over the right field wall to make the game 10-4.
Scoring in the game continued for the fourth consecutive inning as Chase Cockrell hit a RBI single up the middle to score Cole Zabowski, extending the Rebels' lead to seven.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Johns launched his leadoff solo shot to straight away centerfield, making the contest an 11-5 game.
The Rebels responded scoring three runs of their own off of a pair of hits with the help from a UAB error in the bottom of the sixth inning, pushing their lead to 14-5.
In the top of the seventh inning, Schultz plated the first run of the frame with his third home run of the season. Two batters later, Pharis followed with a double into left field before Johns tallied his third hit of the game, trading places with Pharis as the Blazer made the game 14-7.
Ole Miss once again responded in the home half of the inning as a no out RBI single plated the 15th Rebel run of the game, but the Blazers worked out of the jam and left the bases loaded to exit the seventh inning down 15-7.
The Green and Gold made a final push in the top of the ninth inning as Keegan Morow led off the frame with a single down the left field line before Schultz followed him with a single to the same spot, scoring Morow from second. Schultz came around to score on a throwing error for the ninth and final UAB run of the game.
UAB and Ole Miss are set to continue the series with game two on Saturday. The game has been rescheduled due to weather in the Oxford area and first pitch is now slated for 7 p.m. from Swayze Field.
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Will Ethridge (3-0)
L: Graham, Tanner (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Tolbert, Tyler 1 ; Schultz, Colton 1 ; Pharis, Carter 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1
HR: Schultz, Colton 1 ; Fullerton, J Paul 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1
RBI: Schultz, Colton 2 ; Fullerton, J Paul 1 ; Pharis, Carter 1 ; Johns, Thomas 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Davis, Jess 1 ; Morrow, Keegan 1 ; Schultz, Colton 3 ; Fullerton, J Paul 2 ; Pharis, Carter 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1
CS: Tolbert, Tyler 1
HBP: Fullerton, J Paul 1 ; Johns, Thomas 1
PO: Tolbert, Tyler 1
Batting:
2B: Grae Kessinger 1 ; Anthony Servideo 2 ; Ryan Olenek 1
HR: Cole Zabowski 1 ; Kevin Graham 1
RBI: Grae Kessinger 1 ; Anthony Servideo 1 ; Tyler Keenan 1 ; Ryan Olenek 2 ; Cole Zabowski 3 ; Chase Cockrell 2 ; Kevin Graham 4
SF: Tyler Keenan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Grae Kessinger 1 ; Anthony Servideo 2 ; Tyler Keenan 1 ; Thomas Dillard 2 ; Ryan Olenek 2 ; Cole Zabowski 3 ; Cooper Johnson 1 ; Chase Cockrell 2 ; Kevin Graham 1
SB: Thomas Dillard 1 ; Cole Zabowski 1
HBP: Cole Zabowski 1 ; Cooper Johnson 2 ; Chase Cockrell 1
