April 8, 2008

Box Score

NORMAL, Ala. - The UAB baseball team used two six-run innings to pull away for a 15-2 victory at Alabama A&M Tuesday afternoon. Left fielder Phil Bell hit a grand slam in the fifth to power UAB to the victory.

The Blazers improve to 13-17 and have now won three straight, while Alabama A&M falls to 3-23.

Mitch Kloskowski (4-3) got the win on the mound for the Blazers after dealing 5.0 innings in which he gave up one unearned run on one hit, while striking out one and issuing no walks.

Kevin Collins got the loss for the Bulldogs after allowing one run in 2.0 innings of relief.

Bell led the Blazers by going 2-for-6 with six RBI at the plate, while shortstop Nick Crawford was 3-for-6 with two RBI. Right fielder Brint Hardy was 2-for-4 with four runs scored and catcher Kevin Cope was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.

"It really opened things up," said Bell of his fifth inning slam. "Coach Shoop always says that hitting is contagious and he's right. I was able to go up there and get a good pitch to hit and I hit it where they couldn't catch it."

The Blazers have posted 3-2 records in each of the past two weeks and Tuesday's win gets UAB off to a strong start in a difficult week of baseball.

"This was big with a tough game against Samford tomorrow and then we go to Rice this weekend so this was a key win for us to get," Bell said.

First baseman Turner Washington paced the Bulldogs by going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Second baseman Ben Drust drove in Hardy on a ground out to second base to score UAB's first run of the game in the third and then a six-run fifth inning put the game out of reach. Bell's grand slam was the biggest blow of the inning. The grand slam was the first hit by a Blazer since Zac Ward did so against Tulane on May 20, 2006.

UAB went on to score six more runs in the seventh and then chalked up two more in the ninth to close out the 15-2 victory.

The Blazers will now host Samford at Young Memorial Field Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.