TicketsHouston Wins Rainy Finale Over UC, 6-3
Bearcats limited to five hits in loss
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/25/2004
Steve Pickerell drove in a pair of runs in Sunday's loss at Houston. |
HOUSTON, Texas?Houston scored the first four runs of the game and never looked back as they finished off a three-game sweep of Cincinnati, 6-3 at a soggy Cougar Field on Sunday in Conference USA baseball action.
The Cougars got a run in each of the first two innings against UC starter and losing pitcher Eric Eckman (0-5) and added two more against Tony Maynard in the third to took a lead they would never surrender. Houston improves to 20-22 and 12-6 in C-USA with the win, while the Bearcats are now 8-31 overall and 2-16 in C-USA play.
Houston got its first run of the day with fundamental baseball as Travis Tully walked to lead off the inning, before stealing second and then coming home on a Thanos Papavasiliou single through the right side. The Cougars started the second inning with a walk and a single and Patrick Gaylord?s fielder?s choice made it a 2-0 game.
Kevin Roberts stretched the Cougar lead in the third inning with his second home run of the series and fifth of the season, a two-run shot to left.
The Bearcats got three of the runs back with a three-run outburst in the sixth against UH reliever Travis Mays. Brian Beltz reached on an error, just before Pat LeMasters lined a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Steve Pickerell was next at the plate and he ripped the first pitch he saw to left for a double that brought home two runs. One out later, Aaron Moll lined a single to center that moved Pickerell to third. Elliot Salcedo then came up with an RBI groundout that scored UC?s final run of the day.
But Houston had an answer for the Bearcats? runs, with a two-spot in the bottom of the inning that pushed them ahead by the final three-run margin. The Cougars started the inning with four straight singles, including a run-scoring hit by Gaylord. Papavasiliou brought the final run across when he walked with the bases loaded.
Austin Sumerlin was outstanding on the mound for the Cougars, yielding just one hit in five innings. The righthander also struck out five to improve to his record to 2-0 on the season. Three relievers took it from there, with Brandon Roznovsky recording the final three outs for his sixth save.
Eckman took the loss for UC, leaving after just 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits, with a pair of walks. The Bearcats were limited to five hits on the day, with no UC player picking up more than one. Papavasiliou had three hits, with two RBI, while Matt Farrington also picked up three hits.
The Bearcats will be back in action, trying to snap a three-game losing streak on Wednesday at Miami (OH). First pitch from McKie Field is set for 3 p.m.