UAB Takes Game One Over C-USA Leading Southern Miss in Extras

Thursday, May 16

Hattiesburg, Miss.

6 p.m.

UAB

26-28, 11-17

Southern Miss

33-18, 19-9

UAB

Southern Miss

UAB Takes Game One Over C-USA Leading Southern Miss in Extras

5/16/2019 9:37:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A two-out go ahead single from Tyler Tolbert in the 10th inning lifted the UAB baseball team to a 3-2, extra inning victory over Conference USA leading Southern Miss on Thursday night in Hattiesburg.

UAB (26-28, 11-17 C-USA) kept its C-USA Tournament chances alive with the victory, staying within two games of the eighth seed in the field with a pair of games left in the regular season. Additionally, tonight's win over the Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg was UAB's first at Southern Miss since April 2, 2015. A victory in game two tomorrow would secure the first series win on the road against the Golden Eagles since 2009.

"That was great and had we of lost the game I would said the same thing," head coach Brian Shoop said. "It was a great game, our kids played great. They played hard is what they did, they really competed. We've been without our leading hitter J Paul (Fullerton) for eight weeks, without Thomas (Johns) for nine and then Colton (Schultz) goes down in the first inning tonight and that is a lot of firepower to take out of your lineup. The kids keep hanging in there and fighting and that was a special win. But I would have had the same comments either way, our guys played their hearts out and that was a special one though. I'm glad for the win, that's a good one."

Matthew Calvert got the Blazers into extra innings, throwing a career high 6.2 shutout innings, giving up just one walk with three strikeouts and four hits en route to his first win of his senior season.

Tolbert's go ahead single was his second hit of the contest as he went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and two stolen bases.

Jess Davis led UAB at the plate with a trio of hits, including a double and also scored the first Blazer run of the game. The freshman now has 17 multi-hit games in his inaugural season and has seven contests with four or more.

UAB got on the board in the first inning as J. Davis drove his first hit of the game with a one-out double to right field. A batter later, Colton Schultz reached on a throwing error by the Golden Eagles, allowing J. Davis to come around to score and give the Blazers an early 1-0 lead.

Southern Miss (33-18, 19-9) tied the game in the third inning, scoring on bases loaded walk to make it a 1-1 contest.

The Golden Eagles took their one and only lead of the game an inning later in the fourth with a solo home run to leadoff the home half of the frame and give Southern Miss a 2-1 advantage.

The Blazers retied the game in the fifth inning as Blake Johnson reached on a leadoff, infield single. A sac bunt and a groundout advanced Johnson to third, before Tolbert's first hit of the game scored the designated hitter to make it a 2-2 contest.

Neither team was able to manufacture a run through the rest of regulation, taking the game to the top of the 10th inning tied at two.

In the 10th, Austin Triplett was brought into pinch hit and reached on a dropped, routine fly ball by the Southern Miss first baseman to put one on with one out. A stolen base advanced Triplett into scoring position, allowing Tolbert to single into centerfield for the go ahead RBI, plating Triplett and giving UAB a 3-2 lead.

Southern Miss led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a single. A sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch moved the tying run 90-feet away, but a fly out to centerfield ended the game and the threat, securing the extra inning victory for the Blazers.

UAB and Southern Miss are set to play game two of the series on Friday night. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. from Pete Taylor Park.

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