TicketsBearcats Drop Opener To SLU, 7-5
Saturday's game time changed to 3 p.m.
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/30/2004
Jack Nelson had three hits in Friday's loss to Saint Louis. |
AMELIA, Ohio---The left on base gremlin once again bit Cincinnati as the Bearcats left 11 runners on base, including nine in scoring position, helping Saint Louis to a 7-5 win over UC in the opening game of a Conference USA series on Friday.
With the weather forecast showing a heavy chance of rain, the start of the game was delayed 54 minutes, but once the game got underway, clear skies were the order of the day, allowing the two teams to play without interruption. The outcome of the day improves Saint Louis to 12-31 overall and 3-16 in league play, while Cincinnati falls to 8-33 and 2-17.
Once the game got started, the Bearcats stormed out of the gates, putting three runs on the board in the bottom of the first. With two out and a runner on first, Steve Pickerell lined a single to left center that moved Brian Beltz to third. Drew Saylor then came through with a clutch single to right center that scored Beltz. Aaron Moll followed with a double to left that brought both runners around to make it 3-0 early on.
On the mound, UC starter Moll cruised through the first two innings, but ran into his first trouble of the day in the third, when the Billikens matched UC?s three runs. Neil Graser and Bill Musselman singled and walked to start the inning. Saint Louis then went to ?small-ball? as Aaron Thompson bunted both runners over and Pat Steinhoff followed with a sacrifice fly. Jon Greenwich then came up with the Billikens? first big hit of the day, lifting a two-run homer to center.
Saint Louis got another run in the fifth on a lead-off home run by Musselman, then chased Moll with three more in the sixth. Kyle Wort led off the inning with a homer to left and Drew Eder drew a walk to bring Tony Maynard out of the UC bullpen. After a walk and a sacrifice bunt, Graser ripped a two-run double to right that pushed SLU ahead, 7-3.
The Bearcats had ample opportunities to climb back into the game, but Saint Louis starter Dave Guntorius got Steve Pickerell to ground into a double play with runners on the corner in the fifth then retired both Pickerell and Saylor with the bases loaded in the seventh.
The eighth inning was the Bearcats? last scoring opportunity, as they put two runs on the board, but again left the bases loaded. Moll was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Jon DeLuca walked to bring Joe Buehler to the mound for the Billikens. The senior quickly allowed back-to-back singles by Pat LeMasters and Erik Eitel but then retired two straight batters. With the bases loaded, Buehler came up big, getting Pickerell to pop out to short to end the threat.
?I am definitely disappointed, we just left too many guys on base,? said a dejected Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary. ?I thought Moll battled hard, but he wasn?t as sharp as he has been. This is a series that we need to win, but we did not get off to a good start. We just didn?t compete well enough today.?
The Bearcats, who outhit the Billikens by a 13-9 count, got a three-hit performance by Jack Nelson. Muscenti and Eitel each had two hits, while Muscenti, Moll and DeLuca all doubled for the Bearcats. Saint Louis was paced by two hits each by Thompson, Graser and Musselman.
Guntorius (3-5) got the win for the Billikens, allowing three runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts in seven innings of work. Buehler pitched the last two innings for his third save. Moll took the loss for UC, allowing six runs and seven hits in five-plus innings of work.
The two teams will return to Midland Field on Saturday for game two of the series. Please note that the start time for the contest has been changed to 3 p.m. Chase Lampl will get the start for the Bearcats, taking on Saint Louis? Tim Landy.