TicketsBearcats Drop Opener To 49ers, 10-5
Contact: Shawn Sell
5/15/2003
Jake Smith hit two home runs in Thursday's loss to Charlotte. |
AMELIA, Ohio---The Charlotte 49ers used a five-run seventh inning to break open a one run game as they topped Cincinnati by a 10-5 count in a Conference USA series opener on Thursday at Midland Field.
Jake Smith hit a pair of home runs and Drew Saylor added his fifth of the year, but it wasn?t enough to offset a 16-hit Charlotte attack. Kyle Markle was dealt his 11th loss of the year, while the 49ers? Zach Treadway went the distance on the hill, to improve to 8-4.
The 49ers started early against Markle, scoring three runs in the first two innings, before the sophomore settled down. George Sandel roped Markle?s first offering of the game to right for a single, setting the stage for Adam Willard?s two-run homer. Charlotte added its third run an inning later on a Brian Scafe RBI single.
The Bearcats started their climb back in the second, when Saylor rocketed a 1-1 Treadway pitch over the left center field wall for Cincinnati?s first run. Smith hit his first of two bombs in the fifth to cut Charlotte?s advantage to 3-2.
But Markle, who surrendered just three hits between the third and sixth innings, had the wheels fall off in the seventh, as Charlotte exploded for five runs. All nine 49ers batted in the frame as Markle was knocked from the game. With one out, Scafe started the rally with a double, before Thomas Bowker homered to left to score both runners. After a Michael Roane walk, Sandel and Willard followed with RBI singles that brought Rob Reel out of the Cincinnati bullpen. Randall Poplin greeted Reel with an RBI single and Brad Erwin?s sacrifice fly ended the scoring.
The Bearcats accounted for three more runs in the last three innings to produce the final five-run deficit. UC loaded the bases in the seventh with walks by Jack Nelson and Smith and a Steve Pickerell single. Treadway settled down and struck out Brad Schutz, before Justin Niefer lifted a sacrifice fly to right that scored Nelson. In the ninth, Nelson led off with a single and one out later, Smith hit his second long ball, his fifth of the year to left center field.
Bowker led all hitters with three hits, while five other 49ers added two apiece. Smith was the only Bearcats with multiple hits, while Saylor?s homer extended his hit streak to seven games.
The same two teams will continue the series on Friday, again at 12 p.m.