UAB Clinches Series With 3-2 Win Over No. 4 Southern Miss

Saturday, April 30

Young Memorial Field

2 P.M.

UAB

25-16, 10-10

#4 Southern Miss

33-10, 16-4

Southern Miss

UAB

Photo by: Grant Keith (Southern Miss Athletics)

UAB Clinches Series With 3-2 Win Over No. 4 Southern Miss

4/30/2022 5:28:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM – Less than 24 hours after earning its first win over a top-five opponent since 2012, the UAB baseball team clinched a series victory over No. 4 Southern Miss on Saturday with a 3-2 win over the Golden Eagles at Young Memorial Field.

Saturday's comeback win marked UAB's first series win over a top-five opponent since the Blazers took two games out of three against No. 4 Rice from May 14-16, 2009. The Blazers (25-16, 10-10 C-USA) are now 12-5 in one-run games this season.

"I can't say enough for our guys to be able to compete and not only just get a big series win on a Saturday, but also to get it against a great ball club in two really close, tight games," head coach Casey Dunn said. "The story of the day is Leo Harris making the first weekend start of his career.

"He's a Mississippi kid, so for him being able to do that today and go out there and give us six strong innings is unbelievable."

After Southern Miss (33-10, 16-4 C-USA) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Blazers kept the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard the final eight frames behind dominant pitching from starter Leo Harris and relievers Jonah Smith and Aidan Moza.

Harris, who made his first-ever weekend start on Saturday, bounced back from the first three batters he faced to allow just one hit and no runs over his final five innings on the mound. The right-hander retired 10 straight Golden Eagles from the first to the fourth inning, not allowing a Southern Miss player to reach second base since the opening frame.

Offensively, the Blazers immediately cut into Southern Miss' lead when leadoff batter John Marc Mullins blasted his third home run of the season to open the bottom of the first. Mullins' solo shot on a 1-0 count trimmed UAB's deficit to 2-1 after the opening inning.

The Blazers then grabbed the lead for good in the fourth, plating two runs off starter Hunter Riggins with an HBP, a single, a sacrifice bunt and a two-RBI single from Brandon Willoughby. Tyler Waugh, who entered the game as the designated hitter after an injury to Christian Hall in the first, wore a 2-1 pitch from Riggins to put a runner on first with nobody out.

Caleb Floyd then singled to right field to put two runners on base before Henry Hunter dropped down a sacrifice bunt, moving both runners into scoring position. Willoughby then delivered the game-winning hit, ripping the first pitch of his at-bat to center field to give UAB a 3-2 lead.

After Harris polished off a scoreless sixth with his fourth strikeout, Smith entered the game for UAB in the seventh, retiring the Golden Eagles in order with a strikeout and a pair of fly-ball outs. He then worked a scoreless eighth, working around an infield error and a single to preserve UAB's one-run lead.

Moza, who earned his first-career save on Friday, then slammed the door in the ninth for his second save in as many games. The Dallas, Georgia native faced the minimum in the top of the ninth, inducing a lineout to Darryl Buggs in center field for the final out.

UAB's win also moves the Blazers to 26-25 against the Golden Eagles in games played in Birmingham.

The Blazers will go for the sweep against the fourth-ranked Golden Eagles on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and will stream live on CUSA.tv.

For more information on the UAB baseball team, be sure to follow @UAB_Baseball on Twitter and Instagram.