TicketsBearcat Rally Snubbed By Louisville
Cards score in bottom of ninth for 11-10 win
Contact: Shawn Sell
3/27/2004
Jack Nelson tied a school record with three doubles in Saturday's loss to Louisville. |
LOUISVILLE, Ky.---Cincinnati rallied for five game-tying runs in the top of the ninth inning, but Louisville countered with the game winner in the bottom of the frame to hand the Bearcats a heartbreaking 11-10 loss in Conference USA baseball action on Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Stadium.
Jon DeLuca knotted the score at 10 with a two-out, two-run double to left center, scoring Jack Nelson and Aaron Moll. But U of L?s Mark Jurich lined a Josh Kay offering to right center with the bases loaded to score the winning run in the last of the ninth. The game-winning hit was one of four knocks on the day for Jurich.
The Bearcat hit parade continued as UC pounded out 13 hits, including three each by Nelson and Steve Pickerell. Nelson tied a UC school record shared by seven other players with three doubles in the game. Pickerell went three-for-four, including his third home run of the year. The senior, now seven-for-nine in the series, raised his batting average to .446 for the season.
Louisville is now 12-9 on the year with the win, including a 4-1 C-USA mark. The Bearcats fall to 3-19 and 0-5 in C-USA action.
Trailing 10-5 heading into the ninth, the Bearcats batted around to tie the score. Drew Saylor singled to lead off the inning and one out later, Mark Muscenti did the same. Brian Beltz then ripped a ground rule double to left center that made it 10-6. Nelson came up big as his two-run double brought UC within two. Brian Halford then entered the game on the mound for the Cardinals, promptly retiring Pickerell. With the Bearcats down to their final out, Moll drew a walk that put runners on first and second. DeLuca then played the part of hero, lining his double to tie the game. But Halford got Pat LeMasters to ground out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Isaiah Howes and Luis Pardo walked against Brad Hunt. Kay replaced Hunt and got an out at third on an attempted bunt by Nick Haley. But Chris Cates then drew a walk, setting the stage for Jurich?s game-winning hit.
For the second straight day, the Bearcats jumped to a 3-0 lead, plating three runs in the first inning. Pickerell had the big hit of the inning when he blasted a two-run homer to right. Louisville quickly answered with a two spot in the bottom of the inning to get within a run. Jurich smoked an RBI triple to center for the first run, with Ron Braun bringing Jurich home with a ground out.
The Cardinals pushed ahead in the third with two runs courtesy of a Cates run-scoring single and an RBI double by Jurich. UC got back within 6-5 in the fifth inning, getting a Nelson sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Pickerell. Louisville looked to put the game out of reach on a three-run homer by U of L freshman Daniel Burton in the seventh. The Cards tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to set the stage for UC?s dramatic comeback.
Jurich was the star of the day for the Cardinals, going four-for-six with three RBI and two runs scored, picking up a pair of triples and a double. Burton added three RBI, while Cates was two-for-five. Halford picked up the win, despite yielding the tying run to improve to 4-0 on the year. Hunt was hung with the loss, dropping to 0-3 on the year.
The two teams will wrap up their C-USA series on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. Moll will make his second career start on the mound for Cincinnati, facing Louisville?s Mike Tisdale.