Tigers top Blazers, 5-4, in season finale'

Memphis finishes 30-27, while UAB concludes the year 29-28

Memphis and UAB were eliminated from championship game contention after Thursday's action, but the teams engaged in a tight contest that the Tigers eventually won, 5-4, on the final day of pod play at the CUSA Tournament in Pearl, MS.

UAB took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.  Coy Arrowood singled with one out and advanced to second on Patrick Palmeiro's groundout.  John Frost followed with a single to center to get the Blazers on the board.

The Tigers would tie it in the bottom half of the inning.  Drew Martinez was issued a leadoff walk and moved to scoring position on a passed ball.  After advancing to third on a Chad Zurcher groundout, he came home on Jacob Wilson's sacrifice fly to right.

It remained 1-1 until the fifth when UAB took a 2-1 advantage on a two-out single by Patrick Palmeiro.

However, Memphis responded with a three-spot in the bottom of the frame.  The Tigers did so on just two hits as they were aided by two Blazer errors.

Drew Martinez delivered a one out single to score Ethan Gross, who led off the frame with a single and was bunted into scoring position by Bryan Picou.  Jacob Wilson kept the inning alive with a two-out walk and Martinez crossed the plate when Rich reached on a fielding error by the second baseman.  Wilson would later score on a wild pitch to make it 4-2.

The Blazers got one back in the sixth.  Andrew Manning walked to start the inning and scored after consecutive singles by DePew and German.

UAB tied the game on Ryan Prinzing's two-out single in the eighth.

The Tigers, however, re-took the lead in the bottom of the frame.  Phillip Chapman led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch before Robby Graham gave Memphis a 5-4 lead with a single to right.

UAB outhit Memphis, 13-9, and had five players with two hits.

Drew Martinez, Eli Hynes and Phillip Chapman all had two-hit games for Memphis.

Tigers' starter Ryan Holland allowed three runs on eight hits in seven innings.  He struck out 11 and walked just two.  Jonathan Van Eaton worked 1 1/3 shutout innings to earn the win.

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