web Charlotte

May 3, 2003

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The Charlotte 49ers baseball team split a doubleheader on the road at Conference USA foe UAB. The 49ers won the first game, 10-1, behind the pitching of Justin Brown and 15 hits. Then, Charlotte rallied twice but it was not enough as UAB scored a run in the eighth inning to take the second game of the doubleheader, 6-5.

With the split of the doubleheader, Charlotte's record goes to 19-23 overall and 9-12 in Conference USA.

Alex Derhak paced the 49ers with five hits in the two games. Brad Erwin and Randall Poplin each had four hits and three RBI in the two games. Then, George Sandel scored five runs with three RBI in the two games.

The story of the first game was junior pitcher Justin Brown who recorded his first career nine-inning complete game. He scattered six hits and allowed one unearned run in those nine innings for his fourth win of the season.

George Sandel tied his career-high with four runs scored in the game. Randall Poplin and Brad Erwin each had three hits and three RBI in the game. Then, Alex Derhak collected a team-high four hits in the game.

In game one, Charlotte jumped on top 1-0 when George Sandel scored on Randall Poplin's infield groundout in the first inning.

Charlotte plated another run when Brad Erwin scored on Alex Derhak's bunt single in the fourth inning.

Charlotte tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning. Sandel scored the first run of the inning when on the back end of an attempted double steal. Then, Poplin, who tripled to center field, scored on Brad Erwin's single to right field.

The 49ers added another run in the seventh inning when Sandel scored his third run of the game on Erwin's sacrifice fly to center field.

Then, the 49ers exploded for five runs on four hits in the eighth inning. Derhak, Adam Floyd, Sandel, Thomas Bowker and Nick Blackmon all scored in the inning for Charlotte.

UAB scored an unearned run in the eighth inning when Mitch Jones, who reached on an error, scored on Daniel Hill's double to left field.

In game two, Charlotte again scored first when Jamie Rusco scored on Brad Lamm's sacrifice bunt in the second inning.

Then, UAB took their first lead of the day with two runs on three hits in the bottom half of the second inning. Drew Connell and Matt Womble scored for the Blazers in the inning.

The Blazers tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning increasing their lead to 4-1.

Charlotte tied the game when Sandel connected on a three-run home run over the right field wall in the fifth inning.

UAB regained the lead on Matt Womble's two-out solo home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The 49ers tied the game at 5-5 when Poplin scored on a UAB fielding error in the eighth inning.

Then, the Blazers regained the lead for good when Eugene Rodriguez scored on Sam Clark's single to left center field in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The 49ers return to action next weekend when they host Conference USA foe TCU in a three-game series at Kannapolis' Fieldcrest-Cannon Stadium, May 9-11.