LIVE STATS – Game One | Game Two | Game Three | Game Four
LIVE AUDIO
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball team (2-1) hits the road for the second straight weekend, this time traveling to Boca Raton, Fla., to face 2009 National Champion Lynn (3-1) in a four-game series. The two teams will meet in doubleheaders on Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11, with first pitch slated for 11 a.m. CST on Friday and Saturday.
The Chargers head to the Sunshine State after taking 2-of-3 from Montevallo (4-3, 4-5, 4-2) on the road in their season-opener last weekend. UAH was tagged with its lone loss after allowing two unearned runs on two throwing errors in the sixth inning of game two. The Blue and White answered in game three, claiming a 4-2 decision in a rain-shortened 5.5 inning contest.
After dropping its opener on the road to Palm Beach Atlantic, 3-2, Lynn returns home, where it recently swept a three-game series against Tuskegee (7-4, 18-4, 16-0). Lynn's single loss of the year to Palm Beach Atlantic came at the hands of a two-out ninth inning walk-off single.
UAH sophomore southpaw Drew Eiland got the start for the 2012 season opener and did not disappoint. Unfortunately, he was tagged with a no-decision, hurling 7.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts before leaving the game after allowing a two-run home run that tied the game at 2-2. Also performing well on the hill in the opening weekend was junior Cody Barrett who worked 2.1 innings in relief of Eiland, picking up the win after fanning six of his 11 batters faced.
Offensively, UAH hit .292 for the series while posting a .396 slugging percentage. The Chargers had 28 hits, seven walks, four doubles and two home runs. Senior Jon McKinney hit .556 with a .667 slugging percentage, two runs scored, one RBI and a double. Junior catcher Justin Riddle was also .556 in the opening weekend while scoring two runs. Preseason All-Region Grant DeBruin hit one of the two home runs in the series, while senior Ty Chancelor was responsible for the other deep ball.
Lynn has been paced by Mike Diorio at the plate who is hitting .583 while posting a .833 slugging percentage, scoring four runs and batting in five runs with a double and triple. As a team, the Fighting Knights are averaging .341 at the plate with two home runs. Lynn is aggressive on the bases as well, taking 11-of-12 stolen-base attempts through just four games.
The two programs have met just once on the diamond before this weekend, with UAH claiming the lone meeting. The Chargers, ranked No. 16 at the time, defeated the Fighting Knights on Feb. 6, 2004 by a score of 12-4. The game was played in Jacksonville, Fla., at the Louisville Slugger/TPX Division II Challenge.
After this weekend, UAH will play host to Martin Methodist on Feb. 14 in the Chargers' home opener. The single game will be played at Charger Park with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. CST.
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