Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Samford University Athletics

OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF SAMFORD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Davis_UAB
Chase Cochran | Samford Athletics
5
Samford SAM 6-10
9
Winner UAB UAB 5-11
Samford SAM
6-10
5
Final
9
UAB UAB
5-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Samford SAM 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 5 12 1
UAB UAB 0 0 0 6 2 0 0 1 X 9 9 1

W: Colin Daniel (1-1) L: Newman, Jacob (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Big Inning Looms Large in Baseball’s 9-5 Setback at UAB

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Despite outhitting UAB 12-9 on Tuesday, March 14 the Samford Baseball Team fell 9-5 to its crosstown rival due in part to a six-run fourth inning by the Blazers. 
 
With the loss, Samford drops to 6-10 on the season while UAB improves to 5-11.
 
"Today was one of those games where most of what I think happened were positives," Head Coach Tony David said. "They had that one big inning and you're not going to give up a six-spot and then live to tell about it very often. We gave up nine hits, and four were a combination of base-hit bunts and a capper back to the mound. We just have to avoid that big sixth inning."
 
Freshmen Lucas Steele and Jayden Davis led the Bulldogs with three hits and one run batted each on the afternoon. Steele finished just a home run shy of the cycle by logging two of the Bulldogs' three extra-base hits on the day. 
 
Garrett Staton compiled two hits while Garrett Howe and Kaden Dreier both added a hit and an RBI.
 
Jacob Newman (1-1) took the loss. The freshman righty tossed three shutout innings before being chased in the fourth, finishing the day with three runs on two hits with one strikeout. 
 
Heath Clevenger worked a team-high three innings of relief in his Samford debut, striking out four and conceding just one run. Jake Holifield was tagged for two runs on one hit over a pair of innings. 
 
"I thought Newman gave us three great innings and then kind of hit the wall there in the fourth trying to extend for the first time," David said. "Clevenger making his first appearance on the back end threw the stew out of it, but we lost today because in the middle innings we couldn't throw strikes."
 
The Bulldogs struck first with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second. Josh Rodriguez got it going with two outs by knocking a double down the left field line and was brought home by a Blazer throwing error one batter later for the frame's first run. A Staton bunt single kept the inning going and was followed by an RBI single through the left side by Davis to plate Rodriguez and give Samford a 2-0 advantage. 
 
The Blazers eventually answered with six runs on four hits and took advantage of five walks by the Bulldogs in the bottom of the fourth. UAB batted around before the first out of the inning was recorded by Holifield, with two bases-loaded walks and a pair of two-run singles accounting for the damage done in the inning. 
 
UAB loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of leadoff walks and a single before back-to-back sacrifice flies put them up 8-2.
 
The Bulldogs got another run back in the top of the seventh in the form of an RBI triple from Steele. Davis led off the frame with his third hit of the game before being brought home by Steele's three-bagger.
 
UAB took advantage of two bunt base hits and an infield single to the pitcher to tally its final run of the game. Samford showed late life in the ninth by registering a double from Steele and RBI singles from Howe and Dreier before giving way to the 9-5 final score. 
 
"In the early innings we had a lot of opportunities at the plate, and we didn't take advantage of them," David said. "We've just got to rebound tomorrow and throw some guys that are trying to find some answers on the mound but will be ready to face a good Columbia team."
 
The Bulldogs face a quick turnaround, hosting the Columbia Lions on Wednesday, March 15 at 4:00 p.m. from Joe Lee Griffin Field. 
 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford Baseball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordBaseball (Facebook), @SamfordBaseball (Instagram), and @SamfordBaseball (Twitter).
Print Friendly Version