TicketsBearcats Hold Off TCU In Finale, 7-6
Moll earns second straight win for UC
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/11/2004
Drew Saylor hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning of Sunday's win at TCU. |
FORT WORTH, Texas---Cincinnati scored four unearned runs in the top of the ninth, then held off a TCU rally in the bottom of the frame to take a 7-6 win over the Horned Frogs on Sunday afternoon in the series finale of a Conference USA series. The win was UC?s first ever against TCU.
The Bearcats scored their first run of the ninth on a TCU throwing error and then Drew Saylor crushed his third home run of the season off the right field scoreboard to put the Bearcats ahead 7-3. TCU rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning, but came up just short in falling to 19-14 on the year and 7-5 in C-USA. The Bearcats are now 6-25 overall and 2-10 in league play.
UC got another outstanding pitching performance from Aaron Moll who worked into the ninth inning to earn his second career win. Moll allowed four runs on just four hits, while walking two and striking out a career-best seven. The senior improves to 2-2 on the season with the victory.
Trailing by four in the last of the ninth, TCU rallied for three runs in the ninth against Greg Russell. Moll walked the lead off batter then exited the game in favor of Russell. The senior promptly recorded two outs, but then walked pinch-hitter Chris Saenz and gave up a single to Ramon Moses. With the bases loaded, German Duran got TCU within a run with a bases clearing double to left center. But Russell got one of C-USA?s leading hitters, Chad Huffman, to pop out to third to end the game.
Cincinnati got off to a good start, taking a 2-0 lead after three and a half innings of play. Jack Nelson got the Bearcats on the board with one of his career-high four hits, lining a single up the middle to score Mark Muscenti in the third. Matt Ogden brought home the second run with a sacrifice fly that scored Saylor.
TCU came back to tie the score in its half of the fourth, getting a run-scoring triple by Chris Neuman and an Austin Adams sacrifice fly. But Cincinnati went back ahead in the top of the fifth when Moll helped himself with an RBI groundout that scored Brian Beltz.
The Frogs responded once more in the sixth as Neuman?s sacrifice fly brought home Shelby Ford with TCU?s third run of the game.
Findlay took the hard luck loss for the Frogs, falling to 0-1 on the year after allowing four unearned runs and three hits in 3.1 innings of work.
Nelson and Saylor were the hitting stars of the day for the Bearcats. Nelson went 4-for-4 with a double and a walk, while Saylor was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Cogbill and Moses each had two hits for TCU, while Duran had three RBI.
The Bearcats will try to keep the momentum of their second straight Sunday win in tact, when they travel across town to meet Xavier on Wednesday. First pitch from Hayden Field is set for 3 p.m.