TicketsTide Homers Drown Bearcats
Alabama tops UC, 12-0
Contact: Shawn Sell
2/21/2004
Jack Nelson went 2 for 4 Saturday to extend his hit streak to seven straight. |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.---Alabama hit five home runs and two pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout as the Crimson Tide handed Cincinnati a 12-0 loss on Saturday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The defeat was the Bearcats? third straight and dropped UC to 1-4 on the year. Alabama is 4-2.
The Crimson Tide took a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning, but hit a pair of homers in the frame to open a 6-0 lead. The home team tacked on four more runs in the seventh then hit back-to-back homers in the eighth to close out the contest. Zac Welch led the Alabama offense with four hits, including a long ball, while Rocky Scelfo drove in four runs and Michael McCallister collected three hits.
The Bearcats had ample scoring opportunities as they left nine runners on base, including a pair in the first inning and three more in the fourth. Jack Nelson had two of UC?s six hits to extend his hitting streak to seven games dating back to the end of last season. Drew Saylor also had a hit for the fourth consecutive game. Greg Russell (0-1) took the loss for the Bearcats, leaving after three-plus innings, but allowing just two runs on six hits.
Alabama?s Wade LeBlanc pitched seven solid innings, yielding just five hits and three walks, while striking out four to improve to 1-1 on the season. Matt Downs pitched the final two innings with three strikeouts for the Tide.
?I thought things kind of got away from us a little bit and we probably didn?t pitch as sharp as we needed to,? said Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary. ?We battled hard at the plate, but once we got things going, we couldn?t keep them going. Alabama got another exceptional pitching effort too. They are one of the top teams in the SEC and playing them is a way for us to keep getting better.?
Cincinnati?s first good solid scoring chance came in the first inning when Saylor and Nelson both reached on two-out singles. But with runners on the corner, LeBlanc got Pat LeMasters to fly out to right to end the inning. UC tried to rally again in the top of the fourth, when Elliot Salcedo and Aaron Moll both reached on two out base hits. Jim Olds walked to load the bases, but LeBlanc got Mark Muscenti to pop out to end the threat.
Alabama got a pair of runs in the third, highlighted by a solo home run by Evan Bush. Against Kyle Markle in the fifth, Carlos Sosa hit a solo homer and Scelfo ripped a three-run blast to put four on the board in the inning. After scoring four in the seventh, Gabe Scott and Welch hit back-to-back long ball against Adam Curley in the eighth to round out the scoring.
The Bearcats and Crimson Tide will wrap up their three-game series tomorrow, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. CT. Tony Maynard will get the start for Cincinnati against Alabama lefty Brandon Belcher.