UAB Baseball Hits Two Walk-Offs on Saturday in Series Sweep of Middle Tennessee

Saturday, March 7

Birmingham, AL

10 a.m.

UAB

9-6

Middle Tennessee

9-6

Middle Tennessee

UAB

UAB Baseball Hits Two Walk-Offs on Saturday in Series Sweep of Middle Tennessee

3/7/2026 9:20:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (PDF) - G1 Box Score (PDF) - G2

BIRMINGHAM – In what was a wild day of baseball at Young Memorial Field, UAB (10-6) took both games of Saturday's doubleheader over Middle Tennessee (9-7). The Blazers took game one of the day, 9-8, on a walk-off 2-run single by Wesley Helms. The Green and Gold took the series finale, 16-14, on a walk-off grand slam by Brady Waugh to complete the sweep over the Blue Raiders.

GAME 1
The first eight runs of the day were scored by the men in blue on Saturday. Tyler Minnick drove in the first run of the game on a single to center to score Owen Nowak, who led off the game with a double, to put MTSU up, 1-0.

After a leadoff single and two fly outs, MTSU's Layne Akers stepped in and blasted a 2-run home run to pad the Blue Raider lead to 3-0.

Middle's first crooked number of the day came in the top of the third inning. Tyler Minnick's second RBI of the day came on a double to left center to plate Dean O'Neill. Two batters later, Cooper Clapp brought home Minnick to give MTSU a 5-0 lead. Four pitches later, Brett Vondohlen launched a 2-run home run to give the Blue Raiders a 7-0 advantage through three innings.

Neither side would score until the top of the sixth when MTSU added what would be its final run of the game. After a leadoff double by Nathan Brewer, Layne Akers stepped in with another RBI opportunity and scored Brewer on a single up the middle to give the Blue Raiders an 8-0 lead.

UAB finally broke its scoreless seal in the bottom half of the sixth. John Paul Head led off the inning with a double. After the next two Blazers were retired, Brady Waugh roped a double down the right field line to cut the MTSU advantage to 8-1.

The Blazers' big inning would come in their half of the eighth, sending 11 players to the plate. Alex Dupuy led off the inning with his fourth home run of the season. Two batters later, Landon Beaver launched his first home run of the year which scored John Paul Head to cut the deficit to 8-4. After a double and MTSU's second pitching change of the inning, Wesley Helms scored Andrew Hunt on an RBI single which trimmed Middle's lead to 8-5. Patrick McGlon recorded his first RBI as a Blazer when he drove home Helms on a groundout to cut the lead to two. The next batter, Baylor Roberts singled up the middle to score Max Price, and the lead was down to one going into the ninth inning.

UAB sent four hitters to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning. Landon Beaver was hit by pitch and Andrew Hunt drew a 5-pitch walk to bring up Brady Waugh who bunted for a single to load the bases. On the first pitch of the at-bat Wesley Helms dribbled a single through the right side to score Beaver and Alex Cheeseman, who pinch ran for Andrew Hunt, to give UAB a 9-8 victory in game one.

GAME 2
In game two, 30 runs were scored on 30 hits, with nine balls leaving the yard.

In the top of the first, Brett Vondohlen hit his second home run of the day for a 3-run shot to open the scoring and gave MTSU an early 3-0 lead.

The Blazers would answer immediately in the bottom of the inning. Following a leadoff walk, John Paul Head homered for the fourth time this weekend to cut the MTSU lead to 3-2.

UAB would jump in front in the bottom half of the second as four Blazers crossed the plate. Two singles and a fly out later, Head stepped in and hit his second home run in as many innings, and his fifth of the weekend, to give UAB a 5-3 lead. The Green and Gold would add to their lead on the next batter when Landon Beaver hit his second home run of the day which gave UAB a 6-3 advantage.

MTSU would surge back ahead in the top of the third as five Blue Raiders scored. After a leadoff walk, Dean O'Neill blasted a 2-run home run to cut the UAB lead to one. Four batters later, Layne Akers came to bat again and scored Brett Rogers on the first pitch he saw to tie the game at six. The first batter after a Blazer pitching change, Nathan Brewer put the Blue Raiders ahead on a 2-RBI double to score Akers and Cooper Clapp.

Both teams' bats were relatively quiet until the Blazers got going again in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Baylor Roberts dropped the second pitch he saw into shallow center field to cut MTSU's lead to 8-7.

Middle responded with a single tally in the top of the sixth. Cooper Clapp led off the inning by reaching on an error. With two outs and Clapp standing on second, O'Neill scored Clapp on a ground ball through the left side to give the Blue Raiders a 9-7 lead.

The history for John Paul Head would continue as the bottom of the sixth began. Head launched his third home run of the game for the second time this weekend to cut the MTSU lead to 9-8. The Blazer rally would continue as Landon Beaver walked and Andrew Hunt was hit by pitch. Brady Waugh executed his second bunt single of the day and advanced to third on a Blue Raider throwing error to score Beaver and Hunt as UAB went back in front, 10-9. The next hitter was Wesley Helms who drove Waugh home on a sac fly to add to the UAB lead.

The Blazers' lead would grow again in the bottom of the seventh as Alex Dupuy would lead off the inning with a home run for his fifth of the season.

The tension would build as the Blue Raiders were down to their final three outs. Tyler Minnick led off with a walk and Brett Vondohlen hit a 2-run home run for his third of the day to cut the UAB lead to 12-11. Nathan Brewer would come up after a double and a hit by pitch and found a hole through the left side to score Grant Snider to tie the game at 12. The next batter, Clay Badylak doubled to left center to score Clapp to put MTSU ahead. With the bases loaded, Minnick would draw his second walk of the inning to give the Blue Raiders a two-run lead going into the final frame.

Alex Dupuy led off the bottom of the ninth with a double and John Paul Head walked. With one out, Andrew Hunt would walk to bring up Brady Waugh. With the bases loaded, Brady Waugh smashed the 3-1 pitch he saw over the right center field fence for a grand slam and clinched the Blazers' second walk-off win of the day, 16-14.

NOTES
- UAB totaled 13 home runs in the 3-game series, increasing its total to 34 on the season which leads the American Conference. The total also ranks in the top five nationally and is the top total among mid-major schools.

- John Paul Head became the only player in school history with three home runs in two different games. Head finished the weekend going 10-for-17 with six home runs, three doubles, two walks, 10 RBI, and 10 runs scored. He also has three straight 3-hit games.

- Head's six RBI in game two are the most since Camden Hayslip's two grand slams vs. Florida Atlantic last season brought in eight runs.

- Brady Waugh tied his career-high with three hits in game one and tied his career-high with four RBI in game two.

- Alex Dupuy and Landon Beaver also tied their career-highs with three hits in game two.

- Austin Pierzynski eclipsed his career-best with three hits in game two.

- Head and Dupuy each scored four times in game two. Three other Blazers also scored multiple times in the contest.

UAB hits the road for its midweek contest as the Blazers travel to No. 7 Auburn on Tuesday. First pitch from Plainsman Park is slated for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.

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