March 9, 2004

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After losing a lead in the ninth inning, the Samford baseball team plated eight runs in the 10th inning to claim its first win of the season, 13-5, at cross-town rival UAB Tuesday night.

"We've been playing like that all year, giving up late leads, but this time we were able to pull it out," Samford head coach Tim Parenton said. "We got a couple of breaks that we needed, and we were able to get the win."

With the game tied, 5-5 in the top of the 10th inning, Matt Alling singled to left field to bring in Richard Bishop for the eventual winning run to give Samford (1-10) the lead for good. Justin Worthington then scored on an error to make the score 7-5. Eric Hollis doubled to bring in Alling and Michael Collins for a 9-5 Bulldog lead. Sam Stewart later hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in Garrett Rice. Bishop, up for the second time in the inning, then doubled to left center to bring in Joe Denson and Hollis to make the score 12-5. The game's final run was scored when Worthington singled to score Bishop to make the final score 13-5.

Samford got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the third inning. Rice singled to score Bishop for the run. The Bulldogs had a chance to score another run in the inning when Hollis singled with Collins and Rice on base, but Rice was thrown out rounding second base to end the inning.

Samford increased its lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth inning when Bishop hit a grand slam to left center with Trey Moody, Stewart and Denson on base.

UAB (10-3) cut the Samford lead to 5-3 with three runs, all with two outs, in the bottom of the seventh inning. Zac Ward singled to drive in Eugene Rodriguez and Dan Stucky for the first two runs. The third run was scored when Cole Helms singled to score Ward to make the score 5-3.

The Blazers plated another run in the eighth to cut the Samford lead to 5-4. Matt Womble doubled to bring in J.R. Bond for the Blazers' lone run of the inning.

UAB tied the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Josh Miljavac scored the run on a Samford error to send the game into extra innings.

For Samford, Bishop was 4-for-6 with six RBI. Hollis was 3-for-6 with two RBI. Stephen Artz pitched the final 3.1 innings of the game, giving up two runs, just one earned, on three hits to pick up the win and improve his record to 1-3. Parker Gargis started the game on the mound for Samford. Gargis pitched 6.2 innings, surrendering two runs on two hits and striking out a career-high six batters.

UAB's Helms went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Blazers at the plate. Eric Roberts pitched 2.2 innings in relief, surrendering four runs on three hits to take the loss.

Samford will return to action on Friday, Mar. 12, when the Bulldogs play host to Toledo in the first game of a three-game series. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field.