Levi Patmon was 2-for-3 with two RBI on Saturday.

April 7, 2007

HOUSTON, TEXAS - The UAB Blazers lost a 10-4 decision to the Houston Cougars on a rain soaked and cold Saturday afternoon at Cougar Field. The loss is the first Conference USA loss for the Blazers who fall to 16-17 (4-1 C-USA) with the loss, while Houston is now 16-14 (4-1 C-USA). The two teams will play the third and final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

UAB senior designated hitter Levi Patmon was 2-for-3 with two RBI on Saturday, while senior third baseman Ryan Lovdahl was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Sophomore outfielder Brint Hardy was 1-for-3 with two RBI, a triple and a walk.

Freshman shortstop Jonathan Merritt, junior outfielder Phil Bell and senior outfielder J.R. Bond all had one hit in the game.

On the mound, freshman left-hander Shay Crawford was tabbed with the loss for the Blazers after lasting just a third of an inning in which he allowed two earned runs.

Houston's Wes Musick, another southpaw, earned the win on the mound after he went 5.0 innings in which he allowed two earned runs and struck out six.

The Cougars were led by second baseman Ryan Lormand 3-for-5 and his three RBI and two runs scored and catcher Luis Flores was 2-for-2 with an RBI.

The rain seemed to effect the game from the get go as Houston got its first two runs of the game across when left fielder Jimmy Cesario reached first with a single and then advanced on a throwing error by Lovdahl which, with the help of another throwing error on the play by Hardy, allowed two runs to come in and score. The Cougars got one more home in the inning as first baseman Josh Stirneman singled home Cesario to make it 3-0.

Senior Kasey Croft came in to relieve Crawford in the first, getting Cougar right fielder Chris Joseph to ground in to a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

Things remained interesting in the top of the second when with Sawyer and Hardy on second and first, respectively, Patmon dug in and ripped a single to right center to score Sawyer and then Hardy came in to score on a throwing error to third by UH right fielder Joseph to cut the Cougars' lead to 3-2.

Houston again put three runs up on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the second as designated hitter Felix Fanaselle led off the inning with a double and then scored on a triple by second baseman Ryan Larmond to make it 4-2 and then Larmond scored on a single by Cesario. Houston got its third run of the inning across when Croft walked shortstop Bryan Pounds to score Tully and make it 6-2.

UAB got one back in the fifth when Patmon doubled to lead off the inning and then came around to score on single through the left side off the bat of Lovdahl to make it 6-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, an error on Lovdahl to start the inning allowed Tully to reach base and then come around to score on an RBI single through the left side by Flores to make it 7-3.

The Blazers again made it a three-run game in the seventh when Hardy tripled to lead off the inning and then came in to score on a sacrifice fly to center field by Patmon, making it 7-4.

In the eighth, Houston added three insurance runs, a rally that was capped off by a two-run single by Lormand to make it 10-4.

The final game of the three-game series will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Cougar Field.