Baseball Falls to UAB, 8-3, on Senior Day

Saturday, May 8

Memphis, Tenn. (FedExPark)

2:00 PM

University of Memphis

23-23, 11-9

UAB

23-21, 7-10

UAB

Memphis

May 08, 2010 | Baseball

Box Score

May 8, 2010

UAB 8, Memphis 3

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Memphis, Tenn. -

UAB (23-21; 7-10 C-USA)         020 130 110 - 8 11 1
Memphis (23-23; 11-9 C-USA)   	000 012 000 - 3  9 3

A day after putting together an impressive team win in the series opener, Memphis was unable to generate production in any aspect of the game in an 8-3 loss to UAB on Saturday afternoon. The loss drops the Tigers back to .500, at 23-23, and sends them to 11-9 in league play. UAB improves to 23-21, 7-10 in C-USA.

UAB starter Beau Pender was solid, holding Memphis under 10 hits for the first time in 14 games. He scattered eight hits over six innings and struck out four. The right hander no-hit the Tigers through the first 3.2 innings before Rick Russell broke the no-hit bid with a two-out single in the fourth.

Just as they did in the opener, the Blazers opened the scoring with the longball as Luke Stewart launched a two-run shot into the `Dinger Deck' in rightfield. UAB took a 3-0 lead in the fourth and used a pair of homers in the fifth to go up 6-0.

Jonathan Merritt hit his second home run of the series--a two-run blast to left centerfield. Three batters later Sunday starter Benji Waite made it a six-run game with a solo homer over the right centerfield wall.

Memphis ended Pender's shutout bid with a run in the fifth after Derrick Thomas lined a double to right and scored on an RBI-single by Drew Martinez.

Trailing by five runs, the Tigers staged a rally only to see it fade on the basepaths. Tyler Huelsing's single to left got things going. The senior moved to second on an error by the Blazers outfield. A double by Jacob Wilson made it 6-2. Russell singled through the leftside, but Wilson's run was denied when UAB leftfielder Bradley Hicks made a perfect throw to the plate to cut down the attempted run. Russell advanced to second on the throw and Adam McClain followed with a walk. Phillip Chapman scored Russell with an RBI-single, but McClain was thrown out between second after making a hard turn at second.

UAB then took advantage of three defensive errors by Memphis to score single runs in the seventh and eighth for the five-run final margin.

Memphis senior pitcher Ryan Fraser was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked three. Tiger reliever Dane Sharp came in to hold the Blazers to two runs (one earned) on four hits in four innings. He struck out a career-best seven batters.

Pender handed the ball over to closer Nick Graffeo and the righthander did just that, shutting Memphis down to just one hit in three innings to earn his sixth save of the year.

The Tigers and Blazers will battle for the series win on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. at FedExPark.