Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UAB
UAB Swings Past Baseball, 13-6
4/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 12, 2009
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Senior centerfielder Nate Lape went deep for the eighth time this season as part of a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh, but UAB held on for a 13-6 victory in Sunday afternoon's Conference USA baseball game at Appalachian Power Park.
With the loss, Marshall falls to 14-20 overall, 5-7 in the league, while UAB improves to 18-15 on the season, 3-6 in C-USA action.
Leading 13-6 in the last of the ninth, UAB reliever Nick Graffeo retired the first two batters before giving up a pair of two-out singles to senior infielder Adam Yeager and junior infielder Josh Valle, giving the Herd runners on the corners, but Graffeo fired a strikeout to seal the game.
UAB starter Kyle Roberson earned the victory, improving to 5-3 on the season while Graffeo earned his second save of the season after three innings of work on the hill. Marshall freshman left-handed starter Greg Williams suffered the loss and falls to 1-2 on the season.
UAB got things going in the top of the first, plating two runs on an RBI double by Brint Hardy and a run-scoring single by Cody McMurry, giving the Blazers an early 2-0 lead.
Marshall responded in the bottom of the first when Yeager singled and then stole second to leadoff the frame. He then stole third and came full circle on a one-out RBI groundout by Lape. From there, Roberson induced an inning-ending fly out to keep the score at 2-1.
The Blazers extend the lead to 3-1 in the top of the third on an RBI single by McMurry before striking for four runs in top of the fourth thanks to four hits and a Marshall throwing error, pushing the score to 7-1.
UAB tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth when Jamal Austin drove home Luke Stewart on an RBI single to left field. Austin then stole second and scored on an RBI double to right field by Hardy, ballooning the score to 9-1.
The Blazers crossed the plate once more in the top of the sixth stanza when Digger Towe scored from third on an RBI groundout to first by Stewart, making the score 10-1.
Marshall touched the dish twice in the home half of the sixth inning when Lape drew a leadoff walk and then advanced to second on a groundout. Freshman designated hitter Thor Meeks then drove him home with a two-out double to center field before red-shirt freshman left fielder Rhett Stafford followed that with a run-scoring single to right field , moving to second on a throwing error. Roberson then tossed a strikeout to end the Herd rally with the score set at 10-3.
The Herd put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh when Yeager punched a single into left field and then raced home from first on a double down the right field line by Valle, cutting the Marshall deficit to six at 10-4. Lape then blasted a two-run homer to right field, bringing the score to 10-6. Blazers' reliever Graffeo, who entered in place of Roberson to start the frame, used a groundout to end the three-run inning.
UAB loaded the bases in the top of the eighth before a two-out bases-clearing double to right field by Austin extended the Blazers lead to 13-6.
Marshall freshman reliever Joe Church pitched the ninth and walked and hit a batter but struck out the side to keep the gap at seven runs heading to the home half of the frame.
Yeager finished 4-for-5 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. Lape led the Herd with three runs batted in while recording two runs.
Jamal Austin led the Blazers with four RBIs. Austin also scored three times.
The Herd returns to midweek non-conference action on Tuesday, when it travels to Ohio for a 3:00 p.m. ET contest. Marshall then hosts Eastern Kentucky at The Kennedy Center on Route 2 in Huntington. First-pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. ET.
