Sunday, May 1
Birmingham, Ala.
1 pm
Southern Miss
9
at
6
UAB
Baseball Wins Series Finale 9-6 at UAB Sunday
5/1/2022 4:50:00 PM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three home runs helped propel No. 4 Southern Miss to a 9-6 Conference USA victory over UAB Sunday afternoon at Young Memorial Field to salvage the final game of the series.
The Golden Eagles (34-10 overall, 17-4 C-USA) snapped a two-game losing streak and gave coach Scott Berry his 469th victory to become the program's all-time winningest coach.
"It really means everything," said Berry after the game on the school's postgame radio show. "I have been a part of some special wins at this school and have been fortunate to be the head coach here in I guess in my 13th year. I followed some really great people with Pete Taylor, Hill Denson and Corky Palmer. All of those guys laid the groundwork. Of all those wins, 469, the most important win honestly was the one today and it wasn't because of breaking a record, but it was because this team needed that win. We had to have that win and I couldn't be any more proud of our guys to go out there and grind that thing out and feel the sense of urgency that we had to have that win."
After the Blazers took an early advantage, the Golden Eagles used the long ball to go ahead in the contest. Christopher Sargent started things with an opposite field home run to right center to tie the score at 1-1 with his 14th of the year.
UAB starter Brooks Walton then walked Rodrigo Montenegro, who made his first start at designated hitter, before Danny Lynch powered one over the right field wall for his fifth round-tripper of the campaign.
The Golden Eagles increased their lead to 3-1 in the fifth. After an out, Gabe Montenegro lined one into leftfield the was misplayed on the hop and Montenegro ended up at second. He scored one batter later, when Dickerson line a pitch into center field.
The Blazers got a run back in the fifth on a wild pitch that allowed a runner to score from third on a strikeout and then cut the gap to 4-3 in the sixth on a solo homer from Caleb Floyd.
Southern Miss, though, finally enjoyed their first explosive inning of the weekend as the first six batters in the seventh registered a hit to break open the contest with a five-run frame.
Will McGillis opened the frame with his 12th homer of the year to left. Brady Faust followed with a single up the middle and ended up at second after a failed pickoff attempt. Blake Johnson then doubled high off the left field wall to score Faust. Johnson scored on a Gabe Montenegro single, before Dickerson followed with a perfect bunt that the UAB pitcher threw wild of first base and Montenegro scored from first base and Dickerson ended up at third. Carson Paetow completed the scoring with a double down the right field line.
For the first time this weekend, the Blazers jumped out to the first lead in the game with a solo run in the first on a run-scoring single from Floyd. UAB touched Golden Eagle starter Hurston Waldrep with a pair of singles and a walk to start the scoring.
UAB added three more runs to close the gap in the ninth of both Garrett Ramsey and Landon Harper. The first run was plated via a sacrifice fly, before collected an RBI double and a run-scoring single to end the Blazer scoring.
Hurston Waldrep enjoyed a quality start as he gave up three runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts over six innings of work to get the victory and improve to 5-1. Walton suffered the loss for UAB as he gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout to fall to 5-3.
The Golden Eagles return to action when they finish their five-game road swing at South Alabama, Tuesday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m.
The Golden Eagles (34-10 overall, 17-4 C-USA) snapped a two-game losing streak and gave coach Scott Berry his 469th victory to become the program's all-time winningest coach.
"It really means everything," said Berry after the game on the school's postgame radio show. "I have been a part of some special wins at this school and have been fortunate to be the head coach here in I guess in my 13th year. I followed some really great people with Pete Taylor, Hill Denson and Corky Palmer. All of those guys laid the groundwork. Of all those wins, 469, the most important win honestly was the one today and it wasn't because of breaking a record, but it was because this team needed that win. We had to have that win and I couldn't be any more proud of our guys to go out there and grind that thing out and feel the sense of urgency that we had to have that win."
After the Blazers took an early advantage, the Golden Eagles used the long ball to go ahead in the contest. Christopher Sargent started things with an opposite field home run to right center to tie the score at 1-1 with his 14th of the year.
UAB starter Brooks Walton then walked Rodrigo Montenegro, who made his first start at designated hitter, before Danny Lynch powered one over the right field wall for his fifth round-tripper of the campaign.
The Golden Eagles increased their lead to 3-1 in the fifth. After an out, Gabe Montenegro lined one into leftfield the was misplayed on the hop and Montenegro ended up at second. He scored one batter later, when Dickerson line a pitch into center field.
The Blazers got a run back in the fifth on a wild pitch that allowed a runner to score from third on a strikeout and then cut the gap to 4-3 in the sixth on a solo homer from Caleb Floyd.
Southern Miss, though, finally enjoyed their first explosive inning of the weekend as the first six batters in the seventh registered a hit to break open the contest with a five-run frame.
Will McGillis opened the frame with his 12th homer of the year to left. Brady Faust followed with a single up the middle and ended up at second after a failed pickoff attempt. Blake Johnson then doubled high off the left field wall to score Faust. Johnson scored on a Gabe Montenegro single, before Dickerson followed with a perfect bunt that the UAB pitcher threw wild of first base and Montenegro scored from first base and Dickerson ended up at third. Carson Paetow completed the scoring with a double down the right field line.
For the first time this weekend, the Blazers jumped out to the first lead in the game with a solo run in the first on a run-scoring single from Floyd. UAB touched Golden Eagle starter Hurston Waldrep with a pair of singles and a walk to start the scoring.
UAB added three more runs to close the gap in the ninth of both Garrett Ramsey and Landon Harper. The first run was plated via a sacrifice fly, before collected an RBI double and a run-scoring single to end the Blazer scoring.
Hurston Waldrep enjoyed a quality start as he gave up three runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts over six innings of work to get the victory and improve to 5-1. Walton suffered the loss for UAB as he gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout to fall to 5-3.
The Golden Eagles return to action when they finish their five-game road swing at South Alabama, Tuesday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m.
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