Baseball Falls in Series Finale to UAB

Sunday, March 19

Nick Denes Field

1:00 PM

Western Kentucky University

7-14, 1-2

UAB

13-7, 2-1

UAB

WKU

3/19/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF) | Season Statistics

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Baseball was unable to pick up a series win in their first Conference USA action of the season, falling by a score of 5-0 to visiting UAB in the Sunday afternoon rubber match. Kevin Lambert picked up the Hilltoppers' base hit on the day and added a season-high seven infield assists at the shortstop position.

The game pinned a pair of lefties against each other on the mound, with Evan Acosta going for WKU and Thomas Lowery on the Blazers' side. Acosta was perfect through three frames, while Lowery got seven outs before Lambert knocked a line-drive single to left field in the bottom of the third.

UAB (13-7, 2-1) struck first in the fifth inning courtesy of a leadoff walk by Stephen Dobbs and an infield RBI single from Price Visintainer put the visitors ahead 1-0. Still with runners on first and second, Acosta got out of the frame with minimal damage after the Hilltoppers (7-14, 1-2) turned a 4-6-3 double play.

The Blazers extended their lead to the eventual final mark of 5-0 with four runs in the sixth inning. Acosta finished five complete innings and pitched to three UAB batters to begin the sixth. Jackson Sowell relieved the starter and got six outs, then Michael Hicks finished the final two innings.

Hicks posted the first scoreless - and hitless - outing of his brief career with two strikeouts. He hit one Blazer, but stranded him in the ninth after throwing 20 pitches.

Play of the Day
With Evan Acosta still perfect in the top of the fourth inning, UAB center fielder Brewer Hicklen smashed a one-hopper to the right of shortstop Kevin Lambert. The freshman slid, grabbed the shot and popped up, feeding first baseman Grayson Ivey for the eighth straight out to begin the game.

What's Up Next
The Hilltoppers host in-state SEC foe Kentucky on Tuesday evening at Bowling Green Ballpark. First pitch between WKU and the Wildcats will be at 6 p.m., as head coach John Pawlowski's club will look to avenge a loss March 1 in Lexington earlier this season.