UAB Completes Season Sweep of Cross Town Rival

Tuesday, April 2

Birmingham, Ala.

6 P.M.

UAB

13-17

Samford

19-9

UAB

Samford

UAB Completes Season Sweep of Cross Town Rival

4/2/2019 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BIRMINGHAM – Seven runs over four innings lifted the UAB baseball team to its second consecutive mid-week victory and a 7-2 win at Samford on Tuesday night.

UAB (13-17) completed the sweep of cross town rival Samford, marking the first season sweep of the Bulldogs since 2009. The Blazers took game one 9-0 on March 26 at Regions Field.

"We got a great start again," head coach Brian Shoop said. "It was very similar to last Tuesday when (Austin) Bohannon gave us a great start because he pounded the strike zone. Tanner (Graham) gave us a great start because he pounded the strike zone. We got off to a lead in both games and were able to hold it."

Three Blazers recorded multi-hit nights led by a career performance from Austin Triplett who finished with three hits, a trio of RBIs, a run scored and his second career home run. Tonight marked the Auburn native's third career multi-hit game and second contest with two or more RBIs.

Carter Pharis went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI, while Blake Johnson rounded out the multi-hit performances, with a pair of hits and two runs scored.

The UAB pitching staff was dominant for 7.0 innings no hitting the Bulldogs and allowed just four walks with four strikeouts. Tanner Graham started the game, going 3.2 inning with one walk issued and a pair of strikeouts, but it was Austin Stump who got the win, tossing 0.2 innings of perfect baseball with a strikeout.

UAB struck right away as Colton Schultz and Zack Davis were hit by pitches in the top of the first inning. A base hit through the right side of the infield by Pharis plated Schultz and gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead.

Jess Davis recorded an RBI with a double to left-center field in the top of the second, scoring Keegan Morrow from second base and extending UAB's lead to 2-0. With two men out and the bases loaded, Z. Davis became the fourth Blazer to be hit by a pitch, driving in Blake Johnson from third and giving UAB a 3-0 advantage.

A single into shallow center field by Z. Davis in the top of the fourth drove in Johnson before Austin Triplett sent a bomb over the left center field wall, pushing home three and extending the Blazer lead to 7-0.

"That was a big hit by Austin who was not scheduled to start," Shoop said. "He got told about 10 minutes before the game when someone else couldn't go. I'm happy for him and proud of him for staying ready. It was a big three-run home run."

Samford got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning as Anthony Mulrine gave Samford its first hit of the game with a leadoff single. A wild pitch followed by a balk moved him to third before a groundout to ssecond scored Mulrine to make it a 7-1 contest.

The Bulldogs added another run in the eighth inning as the Blazers' pitching staff walked a batter with the bases loaded, making it a 7-2 game.

"The process got away from us in the second half of the game," Shoop said. "I really wasn't happy with the second part, we walked eight people and put very little pressure on them offensively, but thankfully we got enough.

The Green and Gold returns to the diamond on Friday as it welcomes Old Dominion to the Magic City for a three-game series at Young Memorial Field. Friday's first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Fans who attend Saturday's UAB Football Pepsi Spring Game can bring their ticket stub to baseball and receive free admission for the 4 p.m. first pitch.

"This weekend is big for us," Shoop said. "We have been close, close, and close, and close and we have to get over the hump this weekend against Old Dominion."

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