TicketsPickerell Bombs Lead UC To Win
Bearcats win second straight, topping Dayton
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/6/2004
Steve Pickerell hit three home runs with seven RBI on Tuesday at Dayton. |
DAYTON, Ohio---Steve Pickerell hammered three home runs to tie a school record as the Cincinnati Bearcats won their second straight, taking an 11-4 decision over Dayton on Tuesday afternoon.
Pickerell matched his own record shared with seven other players with his three long balls. His seven RBI came just one short of matching another school record of which he has a piece. Pickerell?s three hits were among the 12 racked up by the Bearcats, giving UC its sixth straight double-digit hit game.
While Pickerell stole the headlines, the Bearcats (5-22) also got quality pitching for the fourth game in a row. Senior Greg Russell earned the first win of his collegiate career, after six outstanding innings on the mound. Sophomore Jeff Griffin went the final three frames for his first collegiate save.
In addition to Pickerell?s three homers, Jack Nelson also had three hits, while Brian Beltz added two. Dayton (12-15) was led by Nick Bohnenstiehl with three hits and Patrick Flynn with two.
?For the second consecutive game, we put together all areas of the game,? said Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary. ?The pitchers get the credit today. I thought the key to the game was when we scored, we kept them down and they never had a big inning. I am excited about the way Russell and Griffin pitched, they were able to hold them down until we stretched the lead. Then of course Pickerell came through for us in the clutch. I didn?t think we situational hit as well as we could though.?
The Bearcats didn?t waste any time jumping on Dayton starter Brooks Hazelbaker as Pickerell hit his first bomb in the opening inning, also bringing home Nelson. Dayton had an answer with a single run in the bottom of the inning as Bohnenstiehl scored on a Chad Liter sacrifice fly. The Flyers drew even an inning later when Matt Sibigtroth?s sacrifice fly scored Kris Kemmer.
But that would prove to be as close as Dayton would get as UC exploded for three more runs in the third. With one out, Muscenti singled, bringing Beltz to the plate. The redshirt freshman came through with a double to the right center field gap that plated Muscenti. One out later, Pickerell went deep again, this time with a blast to left center.
UC was at it again in the sixth and again it was Pickerell doing the damage. Nelson led off with his team-best ninth double of the year, once again bringing Pickerell to the plate. The senior catcher hit a 3-2 pitch from Adam Revelette off the scoreboard in left center for his third homer of the day.
Dayton scored once in the bottom of the inning, bringing the day to an end for Russell. A double down the left field line by Flynn scored Liter to make it a 7-3 game. Russell?s (1-2) final line showed three runs (two earned) allowed on four hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.
The Bearcats broke the game wide open with a four-run ninth inning that started against Mark Eger and concluded against Brad Beatty. Walks killed the Flyer hurlers in the inning as three Bearcats were issued free passes. With the bases loaded, Pickerell drew a walk that gave him his seventh RBI of the day. Aaron Moll rounded out the scoring when he blasted a bases clearing double off the left field wall.
?Moll?s double in the ninth iced the game for us,? Cleary continued. ?I thought that was as crucial as any play in the game.?
Dayton started to rally with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against Griffin. Bohnenstiehl started things with a homer to left center, before pinch-hitter Todd Presar singled. Griffin then walked Liter, prior to a single to left by Flynn. But Griffin induced a comebacker by Kemmer to thwart the rally.
Griffin earned the Bearcats first save of the year, with three innings of one-run, four-hit baseball. The lefty struck out one, while also walking a batter.
The Bearcats will try to keep the momentum of their two-game winning streak going when they return to action tomorrow night in Lexington, Ky. UC and Kentucky will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Cliff Hagan Stadium, with Brian St. Jean getting the start on the mound for UC.
Game Notes
? Erik Eitel saw his career-best 10-game hitting streak snapped.
? With three RBI, Aaron Moll moved into a tie for 14th on the UC career RBI list with 106. Moll is now tied with Tony Elsbrock and trails No. 13 Steve Barhorst by five RBI.
? Steve Pickerell cracked the top-20 of the UC career home run chart, moving into a five-way tie for 15th with 19 home runs. One of the player Pickerell is deadlocked with is current teammate Aaron Moll.