Final Stats

Box Score: UAB 10, LA Tech 8

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Louisiana Tech erased a seven-run deficit and held a one-run lead over UAB after eight and a half innings of play Saturday, but the Blazers scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to complete a 10-8 comeback win over the Bulldogs at Regions Field in Birmingham.

With the win, UAB clinched the series victory over LA Tech with two wins in the first two games. The series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday in Birmingham.

After the first three innings of play, LA Tech (9-6, 0-2 C-USA) found itself in an almost identical situation as the series opener as the Bulldogs were fighting an uphill battle after UAB (8-11, 2-0 C-USA) took a 7-0 lead early in the game. The Blazers tallied nine hits over the first three innings and put up three runs in both the second and third innings for an early advantage over the Bulldogs for the second day in a row.

LA Tech hitters had just two hits and stranded one base runner through the first five innings of Saturday's game, but the Bulldogs stormed back in the sixth and scored six runs on four hits to cut UAB's lead to 7-6. Jordan Washam led off the inning with a walk and then Chandler Hall drove in the first two runs of the series for the Bulldogs with a two-run home run, his third of the season, to left field to cut UAB's lead to 7-2. Two more walks set up Cody Daigle's two-run single to make it a 7-4 deficit for Tech, followed by Brent Diaz's bases-clearing two-run triple to left-center which put the Bulldogs down by just one through six innings.

In the seventh, LA Tech picked right up where it left off with Raphael Gladu being hit by a pitch and Garrett Dodd walking to give the Bulldogs two on with just one out. A sacrifice bunt by Sean Ullrich moved both runners into scoring position, but was also the second out of the inning with Jonathan Washam coming on as a pinch hitter. Washam then drove a pitch between first and second for a single to right field that plated the tying and go-ahead runs for the Bulldogs to give LA Tech an 8-7 lead heading to the eighth.

Reliever Nate Harris (0-2) was charged with the loss for the Bulldogs after being credited with back-to-back two-out walks in the eighth before Adam Atkins took over on the mound. Atkins allowed the game-tying single by Evan Peterson to make it an 8-8 game followed by a two-run triple by Esteban Tresgallo to give UAB the lead in the eighth. Both the game-tying and game-winning runs were charged to Harris.

Phillip Diehl started on the mound for LA Tech and received a no decision after giving up seven runs on nine hits in the first three innings of the game. Diehl settled in after a rocky start to retire 10 straight UAB batters while striking out seven over the course of six innings. Harris came on in relief to start the seventh after LA Tech took an 8-7 lead in the top half of the inning.

UAB used three pitchers on the day, but it was Garrett Whitlock that clinched the comeback victory and earned the win on the mound for the Blazers. Whitlock (2-2) pitched the final 2.1 innings for UAB and held LA Tech scoreless on just one hit.

Hall helped jumpstart the Bulldog offense with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate with a double in the third and a two-run home run to start the sixth-inning rally. Jonathan Washam's two-run pinch hit single in the seventh gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the series, while Daigle and Diaz each recorded two RBI's in the game as well.

The three-game road series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday at Regions Field in Birmingham. LA Tech will start junior righthander Braden Bristo (2-1, 5.28 ERA), while UAB has yet to name a starter for the series finale.

For complete coverage of LA Tech Baseball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@LATechBSB), Instagram (@LATechBSB) and Facebook (/LATechBSB) or visit the official website at LATechSports.com.