April 13, 2008

Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas - A two-run home run in the ninth by UAB left fielder Phil Bell gave the Blazers a one-run lead, but the seventh-ranked Rice Owls came back and scored one in the bottom of the ninth and then got a walk-off grand slam by third baseman Diego Seastrunk in the 10th to earn a 12-8 victory at Reckling Park Sunday afternoon.

Rice improves to 27-10 (10-2 C-USA) with the win, while UAB is now 14-20 (1-8 C-USA).

Cole St. Clair (5-2) earned the win after throwing 3.1 innings in which he gave up three runs and struck out four.

Benji Waite (0-2) got the loss after throwing a third of an inning in relief in which he was responsible for the game-winning run in the 10th.

Mitch Kloskowski was the starter on the mound for UAB and earned a no decision after throwing 6.0 innings in which he gave up five runs.

Bell and shortstop Jonathan Merritt capped off their remarkable series' by going 3-for-4 on Sunday. Merritt had two runs scored on the day, while Bell had two RBI. Catcher Allen Aubin was 1-for-4 with a two-run home run.

Seastrunk led Rice offensively, finishing the game 3-for-5 with six RBI and two runs scored thanks to the walk-off slam. Center fielder Jared Gayheart, first baseman J.P. Padron, shortstop Rick Hague and designated hitter Doug Simmons all finished with two hits in the game.

For the third time in the series, Rice was the first team to score as Simmons doubled to get on base and he then came in to score on an RBI-single to right field by Gayheart in the third.

The Blazers tied the game, 1-1, in the fourth and then took its first lead of the series, 2-1, in the fifth when second baseman Nick Crawford laid down a sacrifice bunt towards first base to score right fielder Brint Hardy from third.

Rice was quick to answer the call, tying the game, 2-2, in the bottom half of the fifth when Hague singled to reach and then scored on a single by right fielder Chad Mozingo.

In the top of the sixth, it was Aubin's turn to break the tie when, with center fielder Cody McMurry on first, he launched his third home run of the season to left field to take a 4-2 lead.

It was Rice's turn to make a run in the bottom half of the inning as the Owls got three runs across to take a 5-4 lead. Seastrunk provided the biggest blow of the inning with a two-run double to the right field corner.

UAB came back in the top of the seventh and tied the game for the fourth time of the day after Merritt doubled down the right field line to lead off the inning and then eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Bell to make it 5-5.

Kyle Roberson replaced Kloskowski to start the bottom of the seventh and had his first offering of the day taken deep down the right field line by first baseman J.P. Padron for his fourth home run of the season to give the Owls a 6-5 edge.

Later in the seventh, a wild pitch by Roberson allowed a second run to score to give Rice a 7-5 advantage.

Down to their last at bat, the Blazers got a rally going in the ninth when Hardy doubled to lead off the inning and was then joined on base by Merritt who drew a four-pitch walk. Both Hardy and Merritt moved up a base on a failed pickoff throw by St. Clair back to second which allowed Crawford to score Hardy on a ground out to short to cut the deficit to 7-6.

With Merritt still on, Bell dug in and crushed his sixth home run of the season well over the left field wall to score Merritt and give the Blazers an 8-7 ninth inning lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Rice came back and tied the game for the sixth time when a double down the left field line by left fielder Aaron Luna scored second baseman Jimmy Commerota.

With Luna standing at second and the game tied, 8-8, Hague hit a single to left field on which Luna rounded third and came home where he was greeted by a perfect throw from Bell in left and Aubin applied the tag for the second out of the inning.

The Blazers were able to get out of the inning from there to head to the 10th.

After the Blazers went down in order in the top of the 10th, three walks issued by UAB in the bottom half of the inning loaded the bases with one out and Brandon Flaherty on in relief. Flaherty would then give up the walk-off grand slam to Seastrunk to give the Owls the 12-8 victory.

The Blazers will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to play at Kennesaw State at 6:00 p.m. ET.