TicketsTide Finishes Off Sweep Of Bearcats
Four UC players record two hits
Contact: Shawn Sell
2/22/2004
Brian Szarmach went 2 for 4 with a double Sunday at Alabama. |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.---Cincinnati got a solid pitching outing from Tony Maynard, but it wasn?t enough as Alabama scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to finish off a three-game sweep of the Bearcats, 3-2 on Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 4,553.
Maynard (0-1) pitched 5.2 innings, allowing just three runs on eight hits. After walking six in his first start of the year last weekend, Maynard gave just one free pass against the Tide with two strikeouts. UC falls to 1-5 on the year with the loss, while Alabama improves to 5-2.
T.J. Large (1-1) got the win out of the Alabama bullpen, allowing one hit in 1.1 innings of relief. Taylor Tankersley got the final out for his first save of 2004.
UC had one last chance in the ninth when Erik Eitel and Brian Beltz singled with two out, but Tankersley retired Drew Saylor to end the game.
Eitel, Beltz, Elliot Salcedo and Brian Szarmach all had two hits apiece to pace the UC offense. Jack Nelson saw his seven-game hitting streak snapped, as did Saylor with his four-game stretch. Allen Rice had three hits for Alabama while Emeel Salem, Zac Welch and Rocky Scelfo had two apiece.
The Tide struck first, picking up a first inning run off Maynard. Salem singled to start the inning, before Rice ripped a double to right. One out later, Evan Bush put the home team up 1-0 with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Bearcats didn?t waste any time retying the score, netting a run in the top of the second. After leaving a runner on third in the first inning, UC put runners on the corners with one out after singles by Szarmach and Steve Pickerell. Belcher struck out Aaron Moll, but Mark Muscenti came up with a two-out RBI single to tie the score. Belcher got out of the inning, though, when Eitel flew out to left.
Cincinnati had a golden scoring chance in the fourth that saw Belcher chased from the game. Salcedo opened the inning with a double and one out later Pickerell drew a walk that brought Allen Ponder out of the Crimson Tide bullpen. Ponder got Moll to ground a ball to third that Carlos Sosa came up with, tagged Salcedo and threw to first to complete the twin killing.
The Bearcats took their first lead of the series in the top of the sixth, starting the rally with two outs. Salcedo started things off with a single, his second hit of the game, followed by Szarmach?s second hit, a double down the right field line. With runners on second and third, Ponder was called for a balk, allowing Salcedo to score to give UC a 2-1 cushion. Alabama then beckoned Large from the bullpen and the righthander fanned Moll to end the inning.
UC?s lead didn?t last long, though as Alabama pushed two across in the bottom half of the inning. Rice and Sosa started the inning with singles with Sosa moving to second on the throw to third. Bush tied the game with his second sacrifice fly of the game and then Zac Welch put the Tide up 3-2 with a single up the middle. With Moll?s throw going to the plate, Welch tried to get to second but was thrown out by Pickerell. Scelfo followed with an infield single that chased Maynard and brought Josh Kay out of the pen. Kay got a fly ball out to end the inning.
Cincinnati had another great chance in the seventh when Eitel walked with one out and moved to second on an errant pick off attempt. Beltz then lined a single to left that advanced Eitel to third, but the redshirt freshman got gunned out at second trying to make it a double. With two out and a runner on third, Saylor struck out to end the threat.
The eighth inning was the same story as Nelson walked to start the inning and moved to second on a sac bunt. But Alabama reliever Seth Johnson struck out Szarmach and Pickerell looking to end the inning.
The Bearcats will try to snap their four-game losing streak, starting a three-game series at Wake Forest next Friday (Feb. 27). First pitch on Friday is set for 2:30 p.m.