TicketsBearcats Trounced By Houston In Opener
Olds records two hits in loss
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/23/2004
Jim Olds had two hits in Friday's game at Houston. |
HOUSTON, Texas?Matt Varner pitched eight shutout innings and the Houston offense banged out 19 hits, as the Cougars rolled to a 17-0 win over Cincinnati in the opening game of a Conference USA baseball series at rain-soaked Cougar Field on Friday night.
Varner and reliever Shea Hancock limited the Bearcats to five hits and pulled away with an eight-run eighth inning. Jim Olds came off of the UC bench to record two of the Bearcats? knocks. Houston improves to 18-22 with the victory and 10-6 in C-USA, while Cincinnati slips to 8-29 and 2-14.
Defensive miscues also hurt the Bearcats as the UC defense committed four errors, leading to three unearned runs against starter and losing pitcher Chase Lampl (0-3). The Cougars started early with a combined five runs in the second and third innings. Matt Farrington got an RBI double in the second and Kevin Roberts and Thanos Papavasiliou added RBI singles as part of a three-run third inning.
Houston got two more in the fifth, including an RBI single by Brett Logan and plated another pair in the seventh. The eighth inning saw the Cougars send 11 batters to the plate in scoring eight runs, including a pair of home runs. Farrington had the big hit of the inning, with a grand slam over the left field wall. Three batters later, Cole Bruce ripped the second long ball of the inning, a two-run shot to left center.
The Cougars ended the game with four players with three hits each. Bruce had three hits along with three RBI, while Stuart Musslewhite, Roberts and Papavasiliou each added three hits. Farrington also had a big night with five RBI.
Varner was outstanding on the mound for the Cougars, allowing just four hits, with a career-high eight strikeouts to improve to 5-3 on the year. Lampl was hit with the loss after allowing seven runs (four earned) on eight hits in four-plus innings on the mound.
The Bearcats and Cougars will contest game two of the series, beginning at 7 p.m. CT Saturday night. The game will feature a battle of position players who also pitch as the Bearcats? Aaron Moll faces Houston?s Roberts.
Fans wishing to follow the game via live stats should log on to the following address http://uhcougars.collegesports.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/hou-m-basebl-sched.html in place of the link listed on www.ucbearcats.com.