April 20, 2007

Final Stats

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Phillip Bell, Danny Sawyer and Jonathan Merritt each finished with two hits, and Bell and Ryan Keedy drove in two runs each to lead UAB to a 6-1 victory over Southern Miss, tonight, at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field in the first game of weekend series in front of 2,907 fans in attendance.

Ben Styes (3-4) won his third game of the year, pitching 5.2 innings, giving up two hits, four walks and two strikeouts. Brandon Wallace (3) earned his third save of the season, pitching 3.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits, walking two and striking out four batters.

Ryan Belanger (5-4) dropped his fourth decision of the season, pitching six innings, giving up four unearned runs on four hits and striking out five batters.

UAB (18-22, 5-5 C-USA) finished with six runs on eight hits, while Southern Miss (23-16, 4-9 C-USA) finished with one run on seven hits and committed five errors. The Golden Eagles left 10 runners on base, while UAB stranded six runners.

Trey Sutton, James Ewing and Bailey Hartel each finished with two hits, and James Ewing had the Golden Eagles lone RBI.

UAB broke the scoreless tie in the sixth inning, plating three runs for the 3-0 lead. Brint Hardy reached on a one-out fielder's choice to the pitcher, moved to third on a throwing error by shortstop Brian Dozier, then scored when Phillip bell reached on a fielder's choice grounder to the pitcher. Keedy singled to left to drive in Patmon and Bell.

The Blazers added a single run in the seventh inning to extend their lead to 4-0. Danny Sawyer singled to left field to lead off the inning, moved to second when Merritt reached on a bunt single and then both moved up a base when Belanger had an errant throw, trying to retire Merritt at first base. Tyler Rollin reached on a fielder's choice when he grounded to Sutton at first baseman and he retired Sawyer at the plate. Merritt moved to second on the error and advanced to third on Rollin's fielder's choice. Hardy reached on a bunt single, allowing Merritt to score.

UAB scored two more runs in the ninth inning to extend its lead to 6-0. Merritt led off the inning with a single up the middle, advanced to second when Rollin reached on fielder's choice when his bunt was fielded by pitcher Jonathan Johnston and he tried to retire Merritt at second base. Both runners moved up a base when Levi Patmon grounded out to short. Bell reached on a bunt single to score Merritt, and Rollin scored on a wild pitch.

Southern Miss broke up the shutout, scoring a single run in the ninth inning. Brian Dozier hit a one-out single through the left side, moved to second on Sutton's single to left field and scored on James Ewing's single to right field.

Southern Miss and UAB play the second game of the three-game conference series on Saturday at 4 p.m.