TicketsHouston Completes Sweep Of Bearcats
Niefer goes 2 for 3 in defeat
Contact: Shawn Sell
3/23/2003
Justin Niefer has now hit in four straight games after going 2 for 3 Sunday against Houston. |
AMEILA, Ohio---The Cougar offensive machine continued in the finale of the of the University of Cincinnati-University of Houston series, as the Cougars rolled to a 16-3 win Sunday and a series sweep. The Bearcats fall to 6-14 on the year, with a 1-5 Conference USA mark, while Houston improves to 11-13, 4-2.
For the second consecutive day, Houston used a big scoring inning to sink the Bearcats, this time in the form of a five-run third inning. The Cougars piled on nine more runs over the next three innings to open up a 15-0 advantage after five and a half frames. Cincinnati mounted a mini comeback in the bottom of the sixth with three runs, before Houston added another in the seventh. The game was stopped after seven innings because of a C-USA rule calling for a stoppage if the lead is greater than 10 on a visiting team travel day.
Houston jumped all over Cincinnati starter Nate Bouldin (3-2) in the third, with two-run home runs by Hyung Cho and Nick Bott doing most of the damage. Mark Mueller was next out of the Cincinnati bullpen and he was shelled for eight runs (seven earned) over the next two plus innings. Bryan Wood and Rob Reel also took turns on the hill for Cincinnati, with a little better success, allowing just one run apiece.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati offense struggled against Houston starter and winner Garrett Mock (2-2). The Bearcats totalled only one hit through five innings, a Justin Niefer single in the first inning and ended the day with five base knocks. Cincinnati?s lone scoring frame started with back-to-back singles by Steve Pickerell and Mark Muscenti. Niefer was next at the plate and he ripped his second hit of the day, an RBI single to left center. Brad Schutz followed and launched a ball off the right field wall that scored Muscenti, but Schutz was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. After pinch-hitter Drew Saylor walked, Jon DeLuca hit a sacrfice fly to right to score the Bearcats? final run, before Jack Nelson struck out to end the inning.
Houston, who pounded out a series high 20 hits, got at least two from all but one starter, including three each by Cho and Matt Farrington. Thanos Papavisiliou added a home run in the sixth inning for Houston.
The Bearcats were paced offensively by Niefer who went 2 for 3, who seems to be getting on track offensively, as he has hit safely in four consecutive games to raise his batting average to .200.
Cincinnati departs on Monday for a week-long spring break trip, with stops at Virginia Commonwealth and East Carolina. The first contest of the week is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday evening at VCU.