April 22, 2006
ORLANDO - UAB left fielder Steven Turner finished 2-for-2 with a two-run home run and five RBI to guide the Blazers to a 9-7 victory over host UCF in Conference USA action Saturday evening at Jay Bergman Field. The Blazers (14-26, 1-10 C-USA) snapped their 19-game losing streak and won their first C-USA game of the season.
UCF (22-20, 5-6 C-USA) missed plenty of opportunities all night long, stranding 16 runners on base. UAB walked 15 batters on the night, but held the Golden Knight offense to just five hits in the two-run victory.
After a one hour and 25-minute delay to start the game due to lightning, UAB scored four runs in the second to take an early 4-0 lead.
Turner had the big hit in the second with a three-run triple to put the Blazers in front.
UCF got one run back in the bottom of the second on a RBI-single by junior second baseman Matt Ray.
Both teams scored one run in the fourth before UAB scored two runs in the fifth and sixth innings to extend the lead to 9-2. In the fifth, right fielder Phillip Bell launched a two-run home run while Turner smacked a two-run homer of his own in the UAB sixth.
UCF rallied late for one run in the seventh and four runs in the eighth. The Golden Knights took advantage of seven walks issued by the Blazer bullpen and a costly error in the eighth for UAB, which led to four unearned runs.
The Golden Knights had a chance to tie the game in the ninth with two runners on and just one out, but senior designated hitter Dave Lambert grounded out and freshman center fielder Dave DiNatale struck out with runners on second and third to end the contest.
UCF was just 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and 3-for-22 with runners on base.
Jim Crew (4-2) earned the win for the Blazers. The sophomore right-hander worked 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on two hits with four strikeouts and eight walks. Crew threw 131 pitches to collect the victory.
Grant Addison worked 1.1 innings for his second save of the season. UCF starter Mitch Houck (3-2) lasted 3.1 innings and yielded five runs on four hits in a losing effort.
The rubber game of the series is on tap Sunday at 1 p.m. from Jay Bergman Field.