TicketsDeLuca Gets Winning Hit In UC Triumph
Bearcats beat Charlotte, 5-4 in opener
Contact: Shawn Sell
5/7/2004
Jon DeLuca drove in the winning run in UC's Friday victory over Charlotte. |
CHARLOTTE, N.C.---Jon DeLuca?s RBI single in the top of the ninth inning plated the game-winning run, leading the Cincinnati Bearcats to a 5-4 win over Charlotte in the opening game of a Conference USA baseball series on Friday at Phillips Field.
The Bearcats trailed 4-3 heading into the eighth inning, but rallied to tie the game in the eighth, prior to DeLuca?s heroics an inning later. UC also got a dazzling relief outing from junior Tony Maynard who held Charlotte scoreless and to five hits in 3.2 innings out of the bullpen. Cincinnati improves to 11-34 overall and 4-18 in C-USA with the win, while the 49ers fall to 19-25 and 8-14.
The decisive ninth inning began with Erik Eitel leading off with a single, just prior to Mark Muscenti?s walk. Jack Nelson successfully bunted both runners over and Charlotte elected to intentionally walk Steve Pickerell to load the bases. The 49ers? Erik Walker then struck out Aaron Moll, but DeLuca came through with his clutch single to center to plate Eitel with the go-ahead run. Maynard allowed a pair of one-out singles in the last of the ninth, but Randall Poplin popped out and Kris Rochelle flew out to right to end the game.
Pickerell led the Cincinnati offense, producing three of the Bearcats? nine hits and stretching his already career-best hitting streak to 11 games. Brian Beltz picked up a career-best three RBI, while DeLuca was 2-for-3 and Drew Saylor doubled. Tommy Bowker and Adam Willard led Charlotte at the plate with three hits apiece.
Cincinnati got off to a fast start, giving starter Chase Lampl a two-run lead in the second. DeLuca was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Saylor ripped a double to left to put two runners in scoring position. Beltz then grounded a two-run single up the middle to give UC a 2-0 advantage.
Charlotte came back to even the game when Jamie Rusco blasted a two-run homer to right one batter after Willard doubled. The Bearcats retook the lead in the sixth when Pickerell scored courtesy of a Bowker error at shortstop. The lead didn?t last long, though as the 49ers chased Lampl with an RBI double by Bowker and an infield run-scoring single by Willard.
Trailing by a 4-3 score, the Bearcats rallied to knot the score in the eighth inning. Pickerell singled to start the frame and Moll was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. DeLuca then executed a perfect sacrifice bunt and Saylor worked starter Justin Brown for a walk to load the bases. Beltz then grounded a ball to the right of Bowker that the 49er shortstop went to third with. The play forced Moll at third, but allowed Pickerell to scamper home with the game-tying run.
Both teams got solid starting pitching performances, but neither factored into the decision. For UC, Lampl threw 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, with two walks and four strikeouts. Charlotte?s Brown was also outstanding, working into the eighth inning, allowing four runs and seven hits, with seven strikeouts. Maynard picked up the win out of the UC bullpen, improving to 2-4 on the year. Walker was tagged with the loss, falling to 2-3 after allowing the game-winning run in the ninth.
The two teams will get back to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. Moll gets the start on the mound for UC, while Matt Landphair gets the start for the 49ers.