C-USA Baseball Game Two: UAB 8, Rice 2
May 21, 2008
For just the second time in Conference USA Championship history, the No. 8 seed has defeated the No. 1 seed, as UAB upset top-ranked Rice, 8-2 Wednesday afternoon in the second game of the 2008 Entergy C-USA Baseball Championship being hosted by Tulane University. As has been the case most of the season, Ryan Keedy was the star for UAB. The senior was 3-for-4 with three RBI, adding to his school record for doubles with a pair of two-baggers, his 28th and 29th of the season. Keedy got the Blazers started with two out in the first inning with his first double, a deep shot to the right-field gap. Cody McMurry singled him home to give UAB a 1-0 advantage. Rice answered in the bottom of the frame when J.P. Padron walked and stole second. After moving to third on a groundout, he scored on an Adam Zornes single to left. UAB went back on top in the second when Brent Hardy doubled, stole third and scored on a throwing error. The Blazers doubles parade continued in the third when Jonathan Merritt knocked a two-base hit to left. Merritt advanced to third on a single and then scored on a Keedy single to make it 3-1. UAB added an additional run in the frame when McMurry produced his second RBI single of the day. After Rice pushed across a single run in the bottom of the third, the Blazers blew it open with a three-run sixth. With Austin Taylor and Merritt on base, Keedy cracked his second double of the day to score both of them. However, Keedy appeared to suffer a hamstring injury running from first to second. After the training staff came out to attend to him, he stayed in the game for one more play. But, after struggling to run to third on McMurry's third single of the day, Keedy was forced to leave game. The Owls threatened in the eighth, loading the bases after two were out. But, Rick Hague hit a laser shot that was snared by Blazer third baseman Andrew Manning, who beat a sliding Aaron Luna to end the threat. Kyle Roberson (6-6) pitched into the ninth, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out three and walked four in picking up his second straight victory over a nationally-ranked opponent. Matt Langwell (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season for Rice, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits. Zornes and Hague each had two hits for the Owls, who lost their first game in any postseason tournament since losing to Texas Southern in the opening game of the 2004 Houston Regional. It was just the second time in three years as a C-USA member that Rice has lost a C-USA Championship game. UAB advances to face Houston at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday, while Rice will play East Carolina in Thursday's first elimination game at 9 a.m. CT.
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