TicketsBearcats Buried In C-USA Opener
USF pounds out 19 hits in win
Contact: Shawn Sell
3/19/2004
Pat LeMasters had his third two-hit game of the year Friday at USF. |
TAMPA, Fla.---USF jumped to a 9-0 lead after three innings and never looked back as the Bulls cruised to a 15-5 win over Cincinnati in the opening game of a Conference USA series on Friday night. The game, the first C-USA contest of the season for both teams, finished with the Bulls with a record of 15-6, while the Bearcats slip to 3-13.
The Bulls jumped on UC starter Brian St. Jean (1-2) for four runs in the first inning, chasing the junior righthander just two batters into the second inning. The USF offensive attack was paced on the day by Devin Ivany who had three hits and four RBI, Mike Macaluso with four hits and Travis Brown with three RBI. Cincinnati got two hits from Pat LeMasters and a run-scoring triple by Erik Eitel to highlight the evening. The Bearcats, who recorded nine hits in the defeat, struggled to convert the runners into runs as they left a season-high 14 men on base.
It appeared things would get off to a good start for the Bearcats as Matt Ogden reached on an error to lead off the game, Brian Beltz followed with a single and Elliot Salcedo walked to load the bases. But USF starter Kyle Schmidt (4-1) worked out of the jam, striking out Jack Nelson and inducing a LeMasters double play to end the threat.
From there, USF took control, sending 17 batters to the plate in the first two innings, plating eight runs and banging out nine hits. Brown had the big hit of the first inning, with a two-run triple, while Brown, Bryan Hierlmeier, Ivany and Matt McHargue all knocked in runs in the second.
Down 9-0, the Bearcats scored twice in the fourth and once more in the fifth to cut the deficit to six. Eitel was responsible for both runs in the fourth as he tripled to score Drew Saylor and then scored on a Schmidt wild pitch. UC put up another marker in the fifth on LeMasters? RBI single.
On the mound, freshman walk-on Chase Lampl was doing a solid job of keeping UC close. Lampl left after four innings in relief of St. Jean, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits. The Hamilton Badin product has made a strong impression, with three solid outings this season out of the UC bullpen.
The Bulls added another run in their half of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Hierlmeier. USF, who registered 19 hits, put its final five runs on the board in the final two innings against Brad Hunt. The Bearcats? final two runs came in the eighth when Steve Pickerell scored on a wild pitch and Aaron Moll came home on a Beltz RBI groundout.
USF?s Schmidt picked up his fourth win of the year, allowing three runs on six hits, with five walks and six strikeouts. Despite the defeat, UC?s Nelson (five games), LeMasters (five), Saylor (four) and Beltz (three) were all able to extend their current hitting streaks.
The two teams will return for game two tomorrow at Red McEwen Field, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. Senior RHP Greg Russell will make his third start for Cincinnati, going against USF freshman lefty Nick Manganaro.