Nov. 7, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team opened its annual Green and Gold Series Friday afternoon with the teams splitting a pair of 2-1 decisions at Young Memorial Field.

Behind two hits apiece from Trey Early and Bradley Hicks, the Green team took game one. But the Gold team bounced back to take Friday's second game on the strength of two hits from Digger Towe.

The intrasquad series features six four-inning games this weekend. Action continues with two more games Saturday, starting at 11:45 a.m., and two contests on Sunday, starting at 2 p.m. If the series is tied after Sunday, the teams will play a nine-inning game next weekend to decide a winner.

All games are open to the public, and fans are encouraged to attend.

Game 1 Recap
Jonathan Merritt wasted no time putting the Gold team on top with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning. But then Mitch Kloskowski, the starter for the Green team, settled in. Kloskowski combined with fellow pitcher Nick Graffeo to hold the Gold squad without a run over the final three innings.

After going scoreless through the first three frames, the Green team got the bats going in the fourth to score the tying and go-ahead runs. A Luke Stewart walk and a two-out double from Allen Aubin set the stage for Early, who singled to score both runners and put the Green team ahead, 2-1.

Graffeo then pitched a scoreless final inning to preserve the win. For the Gold squad, Kyle Roberson pitched well in three innings of work, holding the Green team without a run on three hits while striking out four.

Game 2 Recap
The Gold team scored first again in the second game of the day and was able to hold on to its lead. Merritt reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the first and later came around to score on a single from Keith DePew. Two batters later, following an Austin Taylor walk, DePew came home on a single from Towe to give the Gold team a 2-0 advantage.

Ryan Woolley pitched the first three innings for the Gold squad and maintained the lead by allowing just one run on three hits while striking out three.

The Green team managed that one run in the third inning. Andrew Manning led off the third with a double and then scored on a pair of wild pitches. Woolley, though, retired three of the next four batters to get out of the inning without further damage.

Payton Gardner then came on to pitch a scoreless fourth and final inning for the Gold team. For the Green team, Trey Vice pitched one perfect inning in relief of Beau Pender, who allowed two runs -- but just one earned -- over the first three innings.