Ryan Keedy was 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI Friday night.

May 9, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. - The UAB baseball team had its offense going early on at UCF Friday night, taking a 9-3 lead in the third inning before the Knights came back to grind out a 13-12 10-inning victory at Jay Bergman Field. First baseman Ryan Keedy led the Blazers by going 3-for-5 with two RBI, three runs scored and a home run.

UCF improves to 30-21 (7-15 C-USA) with the win, while UAB is now 20-30 (4-15 C-USA).

The Blazers had 22 hits Friday night with shortstop Jonathan Merritt leading the way by going 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Second baseman Nick Crawford, center fielder Cody McMurry and left fielder Austin Taylor all had three hits in the game.

UCF was led by third baseman Shane Brown who was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two home runs. Second baseman Dwayne Bailey was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Justin Weiss (2-1) earned the win on the mound for the Knights after finishing the final two innings in which he gave up one run and struck out three.

Robert Brewster (1-1) got the loss after throwing 2.1 innings and giving up the final two UCF runs.

UAB got out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first as Merritt doubled down the left field line to begin the inning and then scored on a single up the middle by Keedy.

Keedy later scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by third baseman Luke Stewart and then McMurry, who doubled to get on base, scored the final run of the inning on a chopping single to left field by designated hitter Phil Bell to give the Blazers the early edge.

UCF came back in the bottom half of the first and scored two runs thanks to a pair of RBI doubles by first baseman Kiko Vazquez and catcher Robert Lara to cut the Blazer lead to 3-2.

Six singles to begin the second inning helped UAB take a 7-2 lead. Merritt, Crawford and McMurry all supplied run-scoring singles in the inning.

After the Knights scored one run in the bottom of the second, UAB went ahead 9-3 in the top of the third after right fielder Brint Hardy and catcher Allen Aubin singled to lead off the inning and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Merritt and a bunt single by Crawford, respectively.

UCF cut the deficit to 9-5 in the fourth thanks to back-to-back leadoff doubles by Bailey and left fielder Colin Arnold. Bailey scored on Arnold's double, while Arnold came home on a sacrifice fly to right field by Brown.

The Knights added another run in the fifth before McMurry tripled to lead off the UAB sixth and then scored on a passed ball to make it 10-6.

In the seventh, UCF made its way back into the game as Richardson scored on a single to center field by Bailey and then later in the inning with two on and two out, center fielder Tyson Auer homered down the right field line to tie the game, 10-10.

Keedy was quick to take matters into his own hands in the top of the eighth as he led the inning off by hitting a towering solo home run down the right field line to put the Blazers back on top, 11-10.

Keedy's home run was erased in the bottom half of the eighth as Brown led off the side with a solo home run off the scoreboard in right-center field to tie things up, 11-11, and force extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, again it was Keedy getting the Blazer offense ignited, this time drawing a walk to get on base and then stealing second to put himself in scoring position for Stewart who singled to center field score the go-ahead run and give UAB a 12-11 lead heading to the bottom of the 10th.

UCF immediately tied the game, 12-12, in the bottom half of the 10th as Brown hit a leadoff homer to left field and then a one-out double by Richardson put him in scoring position. Richardson moved up to third on a balk by Brewster and then scored the game-winning run on a single up the middle by shortstop Eric Kallstrom.

The Blazers and the Knights will play game two of the three-game series at Jay Bergman Field on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT.