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USF Baseball Defeats UAB 14-8
March 13, 2010
(San Diego, CA) - San Francisco got their first win of the Aztec Invitational in San Diego, CA on Saturday, defeating the University of Alabama Birmingham 14-8 at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Dons (8-8) smashed a season high 19 hits, including three homeruns and six doubles.
USF bested its previous season high of 17 hits (set at Cal Poly on Feb. 28), with eight Dons getting at least one base knock in the contest. Junior third baseman Stephen Yarrow connected on his team and conference leading eighth homerun and doubled on a 4-for-5 night with five RBI. Junior centerfielder Pete Lavin also had a four-hit night, driving in two runs and scoring three times. Sophomore first baseman Nik Balog went 3-for-3, including two doubles, with an RBI and a run scored. Senior designated hitter Ryan Lipkin smashed two homeruns and drove in three Dons. Freshman second baseman Jason Mahood finished the day 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Freshman left fielder Jared Denham doubled on a 2-for-3 day. Junior right fielder Connor Bernatz and sophomore catcher Mason Morioka each doubled in a run for USF. Lavin also stole a career high three bags in the contest, with Mahood adding his first career steal.
Junior left-hander Matt Lujan (2-1) took the win for USF, allowing five earned runs off eight hits and four walks. Lujan struck out three in 6.0 innings. Junior lefty Shay Crawford (0-1) earned the loss for UAB, tossing 4.0 innings and allowing four earned runs off 10 hits and a walk.
Yarrow started off the scoring, putting the Dons up 1-0 in the first with an RBI single to left. In the third, USF went up 2-0 on Mahood's single to left that plated Lavin who had singled and stole a base. UAB closed the gap in the bottom of the frame with a run of its own to make it 2-1.
USF extended its lead with two runs in both the fourth and the fifth. In the fourth, Morioka doubled in Denham, and then Lavin singled to plate Morioka. In the next frame, USF made it 6-1 after Lipkin hit his first home run of the game, a two-run shot to left field.
After the Blazers scored one in the sixth, USF made it 8-2 in the seventh. Balog doubled to center, and scored on Bernatz's double to left. Bernatz then scored on Lavin's single to left. UAB rallied in the bottom of the frame, scoring five runs to make it 8-7, but USF continued crossing the plate in the eighth and ninth innings.
In the eighth, USF added a quick insurance run on Balog's RBI double. Then, in the ninth, the Dons put it out of reach with a five spot. With the bases loaded, Yarrow smacked the Dons first grand slam of the season. Lipkin homered to left to make it 14-7. UAB rallied for one in the ninth, but couldn't come all the way back.
USF concludes play in the Aztec Invitational tomorrow, meeting host San Diego State at 3:00 PM.
