TicketsBearcats Drop Doubleheader At Memphis
UC officially eliminated from C-USA Tourney
Contact: Shawn Sell
5/15/2004
Jim Olds hit his first career homer in game two of Saturday's doubleheader at Memphis. |
MEMPHIS, Tenn.---Despite a dazzling pitching performance by Aaron Moll in game one and three home runs in game two, the Cincinnati Bearcats dropped a doubleheader to Memphis by scores of 3-0 in 10 innings and 7-3 in Conference USA baseball action on Saturday at Nat Buring Stadium.
The two losses, coupled with a UAB win over USF this afternoon have officially eliminated the Bearcats from contention for a spot in the upcoming C-USA Tournament. The Tigers improve to 24-25 overall and 12-13 in league play with the win, while the Bearcats fall to 13-37 and 5-21 in C-USA.
The first game evolved into an epic pitching dual between Memphis? Jarrett Grube and UC?s Moll. Both pitchers held their opposition scoreless for the entire time they spent on the mound with Grube hurling 7.2 shutout innings and Moll tossing nine innings without yielding a run.
The Bearcats struggled early on in game one against Grube, logging just three hits against the righthander. UC had a chance to go ahead in the sixth when Mark Muscenti reached second on a pair of Memphis errors. One out later, Jack Nelson lined a single to left and Brian Cleary sent Muscenti home, but Memphis left fielder Chad House came up throwing, gunning Muscenti out at the plate.
The Tigers had a golden scoring chance of their own in the bottom of the sixth getting a lead off double by Brent Dlugach. One out later, Ryan Martin tried to bunt Dlugach over, but Jon DeLuca fielded the ball and threw to third where Drew Saylor tagged Dlugach out on the play.
Cincinnati had one more good scoring chance in the eighth when they loaded the bases with two outs. Corey Kines then replaced Grube on the mound and got Steve Pickerell to bounce out to third on the first pitch the senior catcher saw.
Memphis put the crowd on edge in the last of the ninth, getting a lead off double by Kyle Scott to start the inning. After another failed attempt to move the runner to third erased pinch runner Patrick Hope, Moll got out of the inning with two brilliant plays by his outfielders. Brian Beltz made a nice running catch in the right field corner to rob Michael Lewis, while Matt Ogden made a beautiful running, leaping catch against the wall to steal a home run from Jordan Hart.
The Bearcats? luck ran out in the 10th against reliever Tony Maynard as Memphis ended the game. With one out, the Tigers get a single and a walk to bring Kyle Welch to the plate. Memphis? catcher hit a drive to deep left that Eitel nearly made a leaping attempt on, but the ball carried over the wall for Welch?s third homer of the year, the game-winning three-run blast.
Bill Moss led all players with three hits in game one for Memphis, while Dlugach added two. UC was limited to only four hits in the contest. Kines improved to 2-3 with the win out of the bullpen, while Maynard falls to 2-5 with the defeat.
The second game was more of the same as another pitcher?s battle broke out between UC?s Chase Lampl and Memphis? Derek Hankins. Hankins didn?t allow a run until the eighth, while Lampl held the Tigers scoreless into the fifth.
The Bearcats had the first scoring chance of the day in the fifth, but Jim Olds was thrown out at the plate by House on a single by Saylor.
Memphis finally broke through with three runs in the fifth inning, getting a sacrifice fly by Adam Amar to start the scoring. House then made it 3-0 when he singled to right to plate one run, with Beltz?s error allowing the third run to come home.
Memphis knocked Lampl out of the game in the sixth with a lead off single by Dlugach. The Tigers ultimately scored a run in the inning on an RBI single by Amar against Jeff Griffin.
Griffin?s day ended early in the seventh after the sophomore lefty failed to retire the first four batters of the inning, when Dlugach rocketing his eighth homer of the year to left center with two out to highlight the span.
UC made its attempt at a comeback beginning in the eighth when Pickerell drove his 14th homer to left to lead off the eighth inning. The Bearcat long ball parade continued in the ninth with back-to-back jacks to start the inning. Olds was first, ripping his first career homer to right center after being robbed in his first at-bat in the third inning. Saylor then came to the plate and the sophomore hit his ninth long ball of the year to center, ending the day for Hankins.
Hankins got the win for Memphis, improving to 7-5 on the year with eight solid innings. Hankins allowed three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out five. Lampl (1-4) took the loss for the Bearcats, yielding four runs (three earned) on six hits with five strikeouts in five-plus innings of work.
Pickerell and Saylor led the Bearcat offense with three hits each, with each player adding a home run. Olds had a double and a homer, while DeLuca added a double. House paced Memphis with four hits, while Dlugach added a pair of hits and three RBI.
The series will wrap up on Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. CT back at Nat Buring Stadium. Olds will start on the mound for UC, taking on Memphis? Bill Edwards.