TicketsBearcats Drop Heartbreaker At Dayton
Dorrmann rips four hits in defeat
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/1/2003
Brad Dorrmann went 4 for 4 with his second home run of the season Tuesday at Dayton. |
DAYTON, Ohio---Dayton?s Jeff Bourassa scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning, handing the Cincinnati Bearcats (8-18) a 4-3 non-conference loss to the Flyers (7-16) on Tuesday at Stuart Field.
The defeat overshadowed a fine pitching performance by Nick Buscemi and a 4 for 4 day at the plate by Brad Dorrmann. The loss dropped the Bearcats record to 1-6 this season in one-run games.
Rob Reel (1-1) retired the first batter of the ninth inning, before Bourassa ripped a double to center. Rory Thornton advanced Bourassa to third with a groundout to second. Matt McCleskey came to the plate next and Reel?s 2-0 pitch was in the dirt, skipping past catcher Josh Romero and allowing Bourassa to cross the plate with the game winner.
?I am extremely disappointed with this loss,? said Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary. ?We talked about playing with good focus today and I thought there were things we did well, but we gave away a lot of at-bats and a lot of scoring opportunities early. I didn?t think we played with good focus today.?
Cincinnati got on the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in the third inning after missing scoring chances in each of the first two frames. In the third, Jon DeLuca lined a one-out single to center, setting the stage for Dorrmann?s second home run of the season, a two-run bomb to deep left center.
The Bearcats missed scoring opportunities in both the first and the second inning. The first inning produced runners on first and second with one out, but UD starter Cory Allen got Drew Saylor to hit into a double play to end the threat. In the second Mark Muscenti singled and Jack Nelson walked with one out, but Romero stuck out and Erik Eitel grounded out to end the frame.
On the mound, Buscemi got off to a rocky start, walking Thorton to start the game and yielding a double to McCleskey. But the freshman settled down from there, retiring the last two hitters of the inning and then 10 more in a row to get into the fifth inning. Buscemi allowed only one run into the seventh inning, but three straight Flyer hits to start the inning chased him and brought Reel out of the bullpen.
The Bearcats had scored their third run of the game earlier in the seventh without the benefit of a base hit. Romero walked to begin the inning, went to second on a groundout, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Justin Niefer sacrifice fly.
Dylan Hickey (2-2) picked up the win out of the Dayton bullpen, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out three over the final three innings.
Dorrmann accounted for four of the Bearcats nine hits adding a pair of singles and a double to his long ball, while Niefer?s first inning single improved his hitting streak to a season, team-best 10 games. By being hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, Muscenti matched the UC single season record for most times being hit by a pitch in a season with 12.
Buscemi finished the day allowing three runs (two earned) and seven hits, while walking two and striking out three in six plus innings of work.
The Bearcats are right back in action tomorrow night with a contest under the lights at Kentucky?s Cliff Hagan Stadium. First pitch between the Bearcats and the Wildcats is scheduled for 6 p.m., with Mike Foley getting the start on the mound for Cincinnati.