May 26, 2004

(7) UAB 10, (2) Tulane 4

HOUSTON - With two outs and a full count in the eighth inning, Eugene Rodriguez smashed a three-run homer to give UAB a commanding six-run lead as the Blazers cruised to a 10-4 win to upset second-seeded Tulane in the second game of the Conference USA Baseball Tournament at Cougar Field on Wednesday (May 26) afternoon. UAB improves to 29-27 overall on the year, while Tulane falls to 38-18.

The win marks the third straight victory over Tulane for UAB this season. The last time UAB participated in the C-USA Tournament was in 2000, when the Blazers also defeated then-No. 2 seed Tulane in the opening round.

UAB starting pitcher Jeff Brown notched the win to improve to 6-5 on the year in allowing four runs on 11 hits in eight solid innings of work. Matt Goebel relieved Tulane starter Brian Bogusevic, who also went 4-for-5 at the plate, in the sixth with the score tied at 4-4, and suffered the loss after surrendering six unearned runs on just three hits - and two Tulane errors - in 2.2 innings of work.

Tulane got on the board first with two runs in the first inning. After Tommy Manzella reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a walk to Wes Swackhamer, Brian Bogusevic singled through the left side to score Manzella,, and Mark Hamilton followed with a single to center to send Swackhamer home.

The Blazers answered with three runs on five hits in the second. With one out and runners at the corners, Seth Rollin doubled to right center to score Nathan McCorkle. Zac Ward and Levi Patmon both followed with a RBI-singles to score Jeremy Moran and Rollin.

A run-scoring fielder's choice by Greg Dini and Bogusevic's second hit of the day scored Tulane's final two runs in the fifth inning.

UAB got their 10 runs on 12 hits, while the Green Wave recorded their four runs on 11 hits.

The loss for Tulane marks the ninth straight time in C-USA Tournament history that the favored second-seeded team has fallen in its first game of the tournament. The last time a No. 2 advanced was in 1999 when Tulane went on to win the tournament championship.

With the win, UAB advances and will play Memphis, who defeated Southern Miss in the first game of the tournament Wednesday morning, on Thursday, May 27, at 3:00 p.m. Tulane falls into Bracket Two of the double-elimination tournament and will face Southern Miss on Thursday at 9:00 a.m.