Errors Doom Trojans in Loss to UAB

Tuesday, March 6

Troy, Ala.

6:00 p.m.

Troy University

UAB

Photo by: Mike Strasinger

3/6/2012 10:30:00 PM | Baseball

By: Adam Prendergast

BOX SCORE

TROY, Ala. – UAB scored in five of the first six innings and took advantage of five Troy errors to defeat the Trojans 9-7 Tuesday evening in non-conference action at Riddle-Pace Field.

The Blazers (9-3) broke a 6-all tie in the fifth inning with one of their four unearned runs on the night. With runners on first and second and two outs, Jeff Schalk reached on an infield single, but an errant throw by the Trojans (6-5) allowed Harry Clark to score and give UAB the lead for good.

Freshman catcher Jake Harrell tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with his first career home run as a Trojan. He took a first-pitch fast ball from David Hayes over the wall in right field after Ali Knowles led off the inning reaching on one of four UAB errors in the game.

The Trojans made some noise in the ninth inning as two of the first three batters of the frame reached against UAB closer Ryan Nance. Troy thought it had loaded the bases with just one out, but Hayden Hillyer was called out on strikes on a pitch that appeared as if it was visibly outside of the strike zone with the count full. Nance struck out the next Troy batter to end the game.

UAB jumped out to a 5-0 lead with two runs in the first and three runs in the second, two of which were unearned.

Boone Shear put the Trojans on the board in the home half of the second inning with his 19th RBI of the season, which surpasses his total from all of last season. The senior laced a double down the left-field line to score Logan Pierce. A single by Knowles and a hit batter loaded the bases. Following a strikeout, reigning Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week Tyler Vaughn grounded to short, but the ball was misplayed to allow a run to score and the inning to continue.

All-American Tyler Hannah, who entered the game sixth in the NCAA with a .608 on-base percentage, made the Blazers pay for the mistake with a two-run single to left to close the gap to one, 5-4. Hannah finished 2-for-5 and is now 12-for-22 over the past five games.

Pierce led the 11-hit attack by the Trojans with three hits in five at-bats. Five different Blazers finished the game with two hits, including John Frost who added a pair of RBIs.

UAB stretched its lead to 6-4 on an RBI single by Ivan De Jesus after Frost reached on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch.

Harrell's homer in the sixth, which was Troy's first long ball since the third game of the season, was the rookie's third extra-base hit in the past three games; he doubled twice this past Saturday at Bethune-Cookman.

The Blazers stretched their lead out to 9-6 in the sixth on a Tanner Bryant fielder's choice and a Keith DePew triple.

The Trojans loaded the bases with nobody out in their half of the sixth after Harrell was hit by a pitch, Clay Holcomb singled and Vaughn reached on an error as he attempted to execute a sacrifice bunt. Hannah then grounded into a double play which scored a run, but that would be the last run of the game for Troy.

Jacob German (1-0) was credited with the win for UAB after allowing one run on a pair of hits over 1.2 innings out of the Blazer bullpen; Nance picked up his fourth save of the season. Ryan Brady (0-1) took the hard-luck loss for Troy as the only two runs he allowed were unearned; he struck out three and walked three over 2.1 innings in his first outing as a Trojan.

Troy will have to bounce back quickly as East Carolina pays a visit to Riddle-Pace Field Wednesday at 6 p.m.