UAB romps past La. Tech

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech allowed seven UAB runs in the third and six more in the eighth, while the UAB Blazers tacked on a couple more in between to defeat the Bulldogs, 18-9, Friday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

Defensively, Tech (16-18, 3-12 C-USA) committed four errors in the first three innings and a total of five on the night as UAB (22-14, 9-7 C-USA) jumped out to an 8-0 lead after just two and a half innings to help propel the Blazers to a 1-0 lead in the series.

UAB totaled a season-high 20 hits in the game, while Tech had seven hits, three of which were home runs by Taylor Love, Bre’shon Kimbell and Bryce Stark.

It was a tough day on the mound for the Bulldogs and starter Tyler Clancy (5-4), who was charged with the loss after allowing nine runs – eight earned – on 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings. Three Tech relievers followed Clancy as Austin Greer pitched 2 2-3 innings and gave up three runs, Mark Baughman allowed four in 1/3 inning and Hunter Mitchell surrendered the final two UAB runs in 1 2-3 innings.

UAB’s James Naile (6-2) started and picked up the win for the Blazers as the reigning Conference USA Pitcher of the Week despite giving up six runs – five earned – on four hits, while allowing three home runs and striking out five on the night. Thomas Lowery followed up with two scoreless innings of relief before Gavin Niquette pitched the ninth and gave up three runs – two earned – on three Bulldog hits.

Tech cut UAB’s early eight-run lead to five in the bottom half of the third when Chandler Hall reached on a lead-off walk, followed by a Blazer error to send Hall to second with Colby Johnson on first. That is when a three-run home run by Love, his fourth of the season, made it 8-3 after three innings.

After UAB added a run in the top of the fourth, Tech responded with one of its own in the bottom half thanks to a solo home run to deep center field by Kimbell cut the lead to 9-4 in favor of the Blazers. With UAB holding a 10-4 lead after six innings, the Bulldogs threatened a little in the seventh with a two-run home run by Stark to make it a 10-6 lead for UAB.

The four-run margin did not last long, though, as UAB responded by scoring eight runs on as many hits in the final two innings to stretch its lead to 12 runs.

The Bulldogs scored three runs on three hits and a Blazer error in the bottom of the ninth, but the deficit was too much to overcome as UAB closed out the game and moved to 7-1 on the season on Friday nights.

Kimbell totaled two hits on the night with a home run and run batted in, while Love was a 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Stark also added two RBIs on his two-run home run in the seventh.

The series is scheduled to resume at 3 p.m. Saturday with Phil Maton (3-1; 2.96 ERA) set to take the mound and face off against UAB’s Alex Luna (3-2; 3.15 ERA).