May 16, 2008

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB baseball team won game one of its doubleheader against 27th-ranked Southern Miss, 6-0, at Young Memorial Field Friday before losing the second game, 8-5. Thanks to a Memphis loss to East Carolina Friday night, the UAB win clinches the final spot in next week's 2008 Entergy Conference USA Championship in New Orleans.

UAB moves to 23-32 (6-17 C-USA) with the split Friday, while Southern Miss is now 38-17 (15-8 C-USA).

The Blazers will play top-seeded Rice at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the opening round of the Entergy Conference USA Championship at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

Kyle Roberson (5-6) earned the win in game one after dealing for 7.0 innings in which he struck out a career-high six batters while allowing no runs and just three hits. Billy Lichtner earned his second save of the season after closing out the final 1.1 innings.

"I was throwing all three pitches for strikes so I think that was the biggest difference today," Roberson said. "I had my breaking ball working well and we played really good defense. We needed to win, that win is going to put us in the (C-USA) tournament. We needed to win it and everyone came out and played good."

Beau Pender (0-3) was tabbed with the loss in game two after throwing 2.0 innings in relief in which he allowed three runs.

Barry Bowden (7-3) got the loss in game one after giving up two runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings. The Southern Miss standout hurler Bowden struck out eight batters in the losing effort.

Wade Weathers (2-1) won game two after he allowed two runs in 2.1 innings of relief. Tyler Conn earned his nation-leading and Conference USA single-season record tying 16th save of the season by closing out the final 3.0 innings of game two.

Left fielder Phil Bell was 3-for-4 in game one, while second baseman Nick Crawford was 2-for-4 with two RBI. First baseman Ryan Keedy was 2-for-4 with an RBI, walk and double in the opening game.

Shortstop Jonathan Merritt was 4-for-6 in game two, while right fielder Brint Hardy was 3-for-5.

Southern Miss was led by first baseman Trey Sutton in game two as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Shortstop Brian Dozier was 3-for-5 with two runs scored in game two.

Catcher Allen Aubin got the Blazer offense in game one as he lifted his fifth home run of the season over the left field wall take give UAB a 1-0 lead in the third.

Keedy used his 26th double of the season to score Crawford from first base in the fifth to take a 2-0 edge.

Still 2-0 in the seventh, Southern Miss designated hitter Kyle Maxie drew a one-out walk and then, on a double to left field by left fielder Drew Carson, Maxie rounded third before changing his mind and, in an attempt to return to the bag, was tagged out on a 7-3-5 putout to help the Blazers hold their 2-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

The Blazers went on to add four runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull away for the 6-0 victory in game one.

Southern Miss scored its first runs of the day in the top of the second in game two, taking a 2-0 lead on a triple off the center field wall by center fielder Bo Davis which scored Carson and right fielder Michael Ewing.

UAB plated its first run of game two in the bottom of the third when Merritt singled to lead off the inning and then advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third on Crawford's school record 19th sacrifice bunt of the season before center fielder Cody McMurry singled him home to cut the deficit to 2-1.

In the fourth, UAB tied the game, 2-2, when a single to left-center field by Merritt scored Hardy.

Southern Miss came back around to score two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Sutton and third baseman Chris Matesich each provided run-scoring singles in the inning.

Southern Miss scored another run in the top of the sixth to take a 5-2 advantage before the Blazers came up in the bottom half of the inning and scored two runs thanks to RBI singles by Keedy and McMurry to make it 5-4.

The Golden Eagles went on to take an 8-4 with three runs in the eighth and then UAB added one last run in the ninth to round out the scoring.

UAB and Southern Miss will play the final game of the series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Young Memorial Field.