Colin Fields (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) put together a solid showing in his first start of the season, striking out eight over 4 1/3 innings and yielding just one hit, but he was charged with an unearned run that crossed the dish following his departure and took a tough-luck defeat in the Valparaiso University baseball team’s 4-1 setback at UAB. Head coach Brian Schmack’s pitching staff put together an encouraging opening weekend that saw Valpo take the opener before the host Blazers won the remaining two games in Birmingham, Ala.

How It Happened

• Fields worked around a walk and a hit batter to put up a zero in the bottom of the first, then struck out the side by fanning all three men he faced in the second.
• An error placed Fields in a tight spot in the third, but he struck out the side for the second straight inning and worked out of a jam unscathed.
• The righty sent down the side in order in the fourth, and carried a no-hit bid into the fifth inning of a scoreless duel. After a walk and a one-out single in the fifth, Fields was lifted and UAB later pushed across the first run of the day with help from a Valpo miscue.
• Valpo continued to get quality pitching as the score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the seventh, when UAB widened the gap to two on a sacrifice fly. A two-run single in the eighth doubled the advantage to 4-0.
• The Brown & Gold got on the board in the top of the ninth as Kyle Schmack (Wannatah, Ind. / South Central) drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on a fielder’s choice bouncer by Jake Kapers (Schererville, Ind. / Mount Carmel).

Inside the Game

• Eight of the 13 outs Fields recorded came via the strikeout as the junior enjoyed his highest single-game strikeout total since a career-high 11 on March 23, 2019 vs. Butler. This was his third career game with eight punchouts or more.
• Schmack reached base three times via a hit and two walks to pace the offense.
• Valpo was limited to just four hits, all singles. There were no extra-base hits in the game by either team.

Up Next

Valpo (1-2) will be back in Alabama next weekend for a three-game series at Jacksonville State. The opener on Friday will be streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. CT with links to live video and stats available on ValpoAthletics.com.