TicketsLate Homer Drops Bearcats In Finale
Contact: Shawn Sell
3/9/2003
B.J. Borsa threw his first complete game of the year against Morehead State. |
MOREHEAD, Ky.---Morehead State?s Paul Rhodes hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth off of Kyle Markle, giving the Eagles a split of the doubleheader with Cincinnati by a 5-3 count.
The Eagles got the go-ahead run to third base with two-out when Rhodes crushed a 2-2 Markle offering deep to right to improve the Eagles to 2-8 on the season. Cincinnati falls to 5-9 on the year.
Cincinnati trailed heading into the seventh inning, but Josh Romero came up big, leading off the frame with his first homer as a Bearcat to tie the score. The Bearcats had another golden opportunity in the eighth when Brad Dorrmann doubled to start the inning. But Josh Price retired three straight Bearcats to thwart the rally.
Markle (0-4) was impressive for Cincinnati, allowing eight hits, but striking out a career-best eight in the defeat.
Cincinnati got on the scoreboard first courtesy of a Jim Olds RBI single, but Morehead State responded with a pair in the bottom of the frame on a two-run single by Brandon Baarstad.
The Bearcats got back within a run on Dorrmann?s RBI groundout in the third. The Eagles retook the lead in the fifth on a run scoring sacrifice fly by Kevin Matuszek.
Romero added a single to his homer run for his first multi-hit day. Price earned his first win of the year for the Eagles.
B.J. Borsa tossed the ninth complete game of his career and Drew Saylor?s third home run of the season put the Bearcats ahead to stay as they picked up a 7-2 win in the first game of the doubleheader.
Borsa surrendered only four hits and one walk, while striking out eight to improve to 1-2 on the year. Augie Cabral took the loss for the Eagles, despite going the distance on the mound.
Morehead State jumped to the lead in the first with an RBI groundout by Kevin Bryant, but Cincinnati came back in the third, scoring on an error and adding an RBI fielder?s choice by Justin Niefer. The Eagles tied it in the bottom of the frame on a Bryan Ingram roundtripper.
Cincinnati promptly answered the call as Saylor led off the fourth with what would prove to be the winning run a longball to left center. The Bearcats got three more in the sixth via an error, a run-scoring sacrifice fly by Jon DeLuca and Jack Nelson?s RBI single.
The Bearcats took advantage of two more Eagle errors in the seventh for the final seven-run tally.
Cincinnati is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday at Dayton before opening Conference USA play next weekend at UAB.