UAB baseball knocks off Rice with thrilling ninth-inning rally at American tournament
Blazers advance to face Memphis or Wichita State on Saturday
Olivia Bennett 
UAB used some late-inning heroics to keep their championship hopes alive at the American Conference tournament on Friday night. In a high-stakes elimination matchup at Baycare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida, the fourth-seeded Blazers rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth to stun third-seeded Rice with a 9-6 victory.
A Resilient Rally
After building a 5-1 lead, UAB (32-25) saw their advantage slip away as Rice surged ahead 6-5 behind a pair of home runs in the eighth inning. Unfazed, the Blazers answered immediately in the ninth when Alex Dupuy launched a solo home run to tie the score. Following a single from Brady Waugh, Andrew Hunt and Wesley Helms ripped back-to-back doubles to reclaim the lead. Small-ball tactics from Austin Pierzynski and Baylor Roberts ultimately padded the cushion, securing the 9-6 win.
"I don’t know how many come-from-behind wins we’ve had, but it’s been a bunch," UAB coach Casey Dunn said. "I would assume we’re the youngest team in this tournament by probably a decent amount, and that’s the exciting thing."
On the Mound
Starter Marcus Steele provided a strong foundation, allowing only one run and one hit with seven strikeouts over five innings. While the bullpen faced challenges as Konner Keplinger surrendered three runs and Riley Miller gave up back-to-back homers, Miller settled in to pitch a perfect ninth inning, earning his fifth win of the season.
Looking Ahead
The Blazers, considered a bubble team for the NCAA Regional, now shift their focus to Saturday’s action. UAB is scheduled to face the winner of the Memphis vs. Wichita State game, with first pitch set for 47 minutes after the conclusion of the 9 a.m. CT contest between No. 1 Texas-San Antonio and No. 2 East Carolina. As 205focus.com continues to cover the postseason, the Blazers remain in the hunt for a Sunday title game appearance.
"I thought our guys handled adversity," Dunn noted. "We had to calm a storm a few times, but we were able to fight through."
