TicketsBouldin Earns Sixth Win In Bearcat Victory
Contact: Shawn Sell
5/16/2003
Nate Bouldin earned his sixth win of the year Friday against Charlotte. |
AMELIA, Ohio---Senior Nate Bouldin won in his final collegiate start and Justin Niefer drove in four runs as the Cincinnati Bearcats snapped a four-game losing streak with a 10-6 win over Charlotte on Friday at Midland Field.
Bouldin worked into the seventh inning, allowing five runs and nine hits to improve his record to 6-7 in what will likely be his last apperance in a Cincinnati uniform. Niefer knocked in four on just two hits, the biggest coming on a two-run double in the seventh.
The Bearcats started the scoring early, getting an RBI double by Jon DeLuca and a Niefer sacrifice fly in the second. After George Sandel singled home a run for Charlotte in the top of the fifth, the Bearcats answered right back in the bottom of the frame with three runs. Brad Dorrmann singled to start the inning, setting up Jake Smith for his third home run of the series and sixth of the season. UC tacked on one more in the frame when Niefer was hit by a pitch to force home a run.
Niefer continued his assault of 49er pitching in the seventh when he doubled home DeLuca and Josh Romero after both had singled. Bouldin?s time on the hill ended in the seventh as Charlotte put four runs on the board to make it a 7-5 game. Thomas Bowker led the frame off with a homer, before Sandel doubled and moved to third on a passed ball. Michael Roane hit a wicked shot back to Bouldin that the senior corralled and tossed to first, but Sandel scored on the play. One out later, Brad Erwin singled and Jamie Rusco followed with his sixth long ball of the year. With Rusco?s shot, Rob Reel relieved Bouldin and finished out the contest to earn his second save.
Although Bouldin was done on the mound, the Bearcat bats weren?t as they put three more on the board in the eighth. A Josh Moore wild pitch plated the first Cincinnati run, while Jack Nelson followed with an RBI single and Aaron Moll added a sacrifice fly to round out the Bearcats scoring. Adam Willard hit a lead off homer in the top of the ninth that ended the scoring.
By game?s end, the Bearcats had registered 15 hits, including the first four-hit game of DeLuca?s career. Niefer, Dorrmann, Smith and Romero all added two hits apiece. Charlotte was paced by Sandel?s three hits, while starter Lee Skaggs (0-2) took the loss for the 49ers. The win by Cincinnati improves its record to 15-39 overall and 7-22 in Conference USA. Charlotte drops to 21-26 for the season, with a 11-15 league slate.
The Bearcats wrap up the 2003 season at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning and will honor their seven seniors prior to the contest. B.J. Borsa goes on the mound for Cincinnati against Charlotte?s Matt Savage.