HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball team opened its 2017 home schedule on Saturday afternoon and split the non-conference doubleheader with Spring Hill as SHC won the opener 8-5 in 10 innings prior to UAH taking the second contest 6-5. UAH now stands at 1-5, while SHC is 2-4 overall.
 
Game one: SHC 8, UAH 5 (10)
 
Game Changer
- Ben Rhodes went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBI and a game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to lead the Chargers in the series opener.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Spring Hill was first on the board in the opening game of the series, as Ben Bolton's two-run single to left highlighted a three-run third inning.
- UAH cut into the SHC lead with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the third on a RBI double by Rhodes who was later plated on a fielding error in the frame.
- However, the Badgers pushed the lead to 5-2 in the top of the fourth with a pair of more runs scoring.
- Rhodes' game-tying blast came in the bottom half of the fourth and the game would remain tied 5-5 until SHC plated a total of three runs in the 10th en route to the 8-5 victory.
- UAH had five base hits in game one, paced by Rhodes with two.
- Justin Ware tied with Rhodes for a team-high two runs scored.
- Jake Bracewell made the start on the mound for the Chargers, turning in 4.0 innings with four earned runs allowed.
- Gabe Gunter again sparkled in long-relief, tossing 5.0 shutout innings with two hits allowed.
- Sophomore Taylor Clemons took the loss, after allowing three runs in 1.0 inning of work.
 
Noteworthy
- Gunter's eight strikeouts are a career-best with the Chargers.
- Rhodes four RBI were a career-high, having registered three-RBI in a game on three occasions in 2016.
 
Game Two: UAH 6, SHC 5
 
Game Changer
- Jay Copeland's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh lifted the Chargers to their first win of the 2017 campaign.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Spring Hill jumped out to a four-run lead with a four-run rally in the top of the third, highlighted by a Michael Druhan three-run home run.
- The Chargers responded in the bottom half of the fourth with their own four-run rally to knot the game at 4-4, as both Drake Hollingsworth and Wright Hackett scored and notched RBI in the frame.
- Both sides would trade runs in the fifth to make it a 5-5 tie before Copeland drove in Robby Seemann to win the contest 6-5 with a sac fly to center in the bottom of the seventh.
- UAH totaled nine base hits in the contest, paced by Nolan Ramsey with two hits and one run scored.
- Rhodes registered a game-high two walks and went 1-for-2 at the plate.
- Heath McRae improved to 1-0 on the season after tossing 3.0 innings of relief with one run allowed and four strikeouts.
 
Noteworthy
- Rhodes has now hit in six straight games to start the 2017 campaign.
- UAH has recorded nine or more hits on three occasions so far this year.
 
Next Time Out
- UAH and SHC will wrap up the three-game series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.