TicketsBearcats Dropped By Sullivan, Cougars
Contact: Shawn Sell
3/21/2003
Justin Niefer hit his third home run of the season Friday against Houston. |
AMEILA, Ohio---Houston?s Brad Sullivan registered 13 stikeouts in eight innings of work and the Cougars? bats pounded 19 hits off six Cincinnati pitchers as Houston rolled to 13-2 win Friday at Midland Field. The win improves the Cougars to 9-13 overall and 2-2 in Conference USA, while the Bearcats fall to 6-12 and 1-3.
Houston wasted no time jumping on Cincinnati starter Kyle Markle (0-6), plating three runs in the top of the first. Tonas Papavasiliou had the big hit of the of the frame, with an RBI double.
The Bearcats came right back in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to one, courtesty of Justin Niefer?s third home run of the season with Mark Muscenti on. Markle retired the side without any further damage in the second, but then the wheels fell off the Bearcats? ship in the third.
Houston scored three more runs in the inning to chase Markle and bring on Mike Foley. Papavasiliou came up with his second RBI on the game, while Bryan Martin and Stuart Musslewhite also plated runs.
The Cougars went on the score five runs over the next five innings to pull ahead 11-2. Meanwhile, Sullivan (3-3) was cruising on the mound. By the time he exited after the eighth inning, he had faced just five batters over the limit, walking three and yielding four hits.
?We didn?t pitch well enough to stay in the game,? said Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary. ?Its hard to give up that many runs against a dominating pitcher. We got behind early and then Sullivan settled down and we couldn?t get back in it. The good news is this game only counts as one loss.?
A trio of Bearcats were able to see their first action of the season on the mound in the blowout. True freshman Nick Buscemi worked the sixth and seventh innings, with senior John Swanson and redshirt freshman Jeff Griffin following Buscemi to the hill.
Travis Tully, Gabe Lucas and Musslewhite each had three hits by game?s end, while Lucas Papavasiliou and Nick Bott recorded multi-RBI games for Houston. Niefer was the star of the Bearcat offense, going 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI.
Game two of the series is set for tomorrow back at Midland Field. Please note that the time has been changed to an 11 a.m. first pitch. B.J. Borsa gets the ball for the Bearcats, hooking up with Houston?s Danny Zell.