BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB baseball team
rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the eighth, scoring three times capped
off by Todd Wilkinson executing a suicide squeeze to defeat Troy, 4-3, at Young
Memorial Field on Tuesday.
UAB improved to 18-12 on the season. Troy fell to 13-15 with
the loss.
The first run of the eighth was knocked in by pinch hitter Ryan
Ussery on a RBI single against Troy's Tyson Workman (2-2). Later in the
frame, Coy Arrowood scored on a wild pitch and Ussery would scamper home with
the game-winner on Wilkinson's squeeze.
Alex Luna (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory, giving up
only one hit in three scoreless innings of work out the Blazer bullpen.
The right-hander struck out two and walked two.
At the plate, Jeff Schalk tied a career-high going 3-for-4.
John Frost and Tyler Mims each went 2-for-4, while Mims also scored twice in
the victory.
UAB returns to the diamond on Friday with a trip to Orlando, Fla.
to play Conference USA foe UCF. Game one of the three-game series is
scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. CT).
In Softball, Senior Catherine Crawford stole
home in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the UAB softball team the one
run it needed to top the Troy Trojans in a pitcher's duel on Tuesday at the UAB
Softball Field. The Blazers improve to 21-13 on the season, while the Trojans
fall to 22-12.
UAB pitcher Amber Torres earned
the win, tossing a complete game and allowing just four hits.
Ashley Rainey was tagged with the
loss for Troy. She allowed five hits and struck out seven Blazer batters.
Troy was receiving votes in both
major softball polls (USA Today/NFCA Coaches, ESPN.com/USA Today) and is
rated No. 28 in the latest NCAA RPI.
"Hats off to Troy. They played
outstanding," UAB head coach Marla Townsend said. "I thought Amber pitched an
amazing game and that both pitchers were doing their jobs."
Scoreless through five and a half
innings, UAB finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Crawford singled to start off the
inning and advanced to third on a single up the middle by Kayla Orr. Troy
intentionally walked Mandy Lowman to load the bases with no outs.
The Trojans retired the next two
batters and Kate Armstrong stepped to the plate. She never got a chance to hit
the ball, as Rainey stepped out of the circle, allowing Crawford to hustle
home.
"The hardest part about the game
is making adjustments at the plate," Townsend said. "For us to get bases loaded
and have Cat 60-feet from home was huge. We were looking for that opportunity
and we took advantage of it."
The Blazers return to conference
action this weekend with a three game series at East Carolina in Greenville,
N.C. UAB and ECU will square off in a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 5
p.m. ET, and will play a single game Sunday starting at 1 p.m. ET.
