May 17, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Sophomore right-hander Mitch Kloskowski pitched a complete game to help lead the UAB Blazers to an 11-2 victory over No. 29 East Carolina at Young Memorial Field Thursday night. The win was the 800th victory all-time for UAB and the first victory over a ranked opponent this season. The Blazers improve to 24-30 (11-11 C-USA) and will host the Pirates for game two of the three-game series Friday at 7 p.m.

East Carolina, the second place team in Conference USA, falls to 35-20 (13-8 C-USA) with the loss.

Kloskowski (5-5) earned the win on the mound for the Blazers with his first career complete game. He carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and allowed just five hits and two runs for the game, while matching a career-high six strikeouts. After a 34-pitch first inning, Kloskowski settled in and finished the game at 126 pitches.

"Mitch settled in and did really well tonight," said UAB head coach Brian Shoop. "We defended better tonight. We played an errorless game and we got some lucky hits tonight, the breaks all seemed to go our way."

"Our hitters really helped me get past the first," said Kloskowski. "They gave me a long rest and it gave me a chance to start over out there."

East Carolina right-hander T.J. Hose (6-5) got the loss despite allowing just one earned run. In all, Hose gave up five runs and allowed nine hits in his six innings of work.

UAB senior third baseman Ryne Lovdahl was 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored in the game, while freshman shortstop Jonathan Merritt was equally as impressive, also going 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.

Junior outfielder Phil Bell was 2-for-2 with two RBI, two runs scored and two walks. Senior catcher Danny Sawyer went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.

ECU was led by designated hitter Kyle Roller who was 2-for-4 with two RBI that came on a two-run home run in the sixth inning.

UAB used a four-run first inning to get out in front from the get-go. Sawyer paved the way with his two-run double down the left field line that scored senior outfielder Levi Patmon and Bell who had reached on an error and single, respectively.

A Lovdahl single through the left side scored Sawyer and then a double down the left field line by Merritt scored Lovdahl for the final run of the inning.

UAB went up 5-0 in the second when sophomore outfielder Brint Hardy tripled on what appeared to be a fly out to right field off the bat, however Pirate right fielder Ryan Tousley never found the ball, allowing it to fall in play well to the right of where he was playing to allow the speedy Hardy to move up to third. Hardy then scored on a single to left field by Patmon.

Roller's blast over the wall in right-center field cut the Blazer lead to 5-2 in the sixth, but that's as close as the Pirates would get as the Blazers went for five runs in the seventh and then added another in the ninth to pull away for the 11-2 victory.

The two teams will be back in action on Friday at 7 p.m. for game two of the three-game series. Friday night will be `Reliever Night' at Young Memorial Field. Fans arriving at the gate with a ticket stub from a 2007 UAB baseball game will receive $1 admission.