TicketsBearcats Shutout By South Florida, 4-0
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/19/2003
Aaron Moll went 2 for 3 on Saturday to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. |
TAMPA, Fla.---The Cincinnati bats couldn?t stay hot in the warm Florida sun, as South Florida handed the Bearcats their first shutout of the season, a 4-0 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Red McEwen Field.
Bulls? starter David Austen (9-1) allowed just five hits over eight innings, before making way for Joey Livingston who recorded the final three outs. Nate Bouldin (4-4) was solid for Cincinnati, going the distance and allowing eight hits, with two walks and matching a career-high with six strikeouts.
South Florida got off and running with a pair of runs in the second to open up a two-run edge, getting RBI?s from Allen Shirley and Jermaine Smith. Kris Howell opened the frame with a single and Ronnie Handley followed with a double to move the runner to third. Shirley?s groundout to short scored Howell and moved Handley to third, setting up Smith?s sacrifice fly.
The Bulls tacked on their final two runs both courtesy of Howell sacrifice flies in the fifth and seventh innings.
The Bearcats, who left seven runners on base for the day, had multiple scoring opportunities, the best coming in the first and sixth innings. In the opening frame, Justin Niefer led off with a single, with Aaron Moll following one out later with a single up the middle. But Drew Saylor popped out to first and Steve Pickerell hit into a fielder?s choice that ended the threat. Cincinnati again left two on in the sixth, when Moll and Saylor were stranded after both were hit by pitches with two outs.
Moll led the Bearcats with a 2 for 3 day at the plate to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, while Mark Muscenti?s third inning single stretched his streak to 12 games. Cincinnati falls to 11-26 overall and 5-12 in Conference USA with the defeat, while South Florida improves to 25-14, 9-6.
The same two teams will wrap up the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. Kyle Markle gets the start for the Bearcats against South Florida?s Travis Rios.