TicketsBearcat Rally Falls Short Against UAB
Moll gets four hits in home loss
Contact: Shawn Sell
5/21/2004
Aaron Moll had four hits, inclduing his 10th home run on Friday night against UAB. |
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Despite a spirited ninth inning comeback, Cincinnati dropped its second straight contest in the new UC Baseball Stadium, falling 12-6 to UAB on Friday night in Conference USA baseball action.
UAB exploded for a total of 10 runs in the first four innings and that would be all the Blazers would need as they got another outstanding starting pitching performance, this time by Adam Price. The win assures the Blazers of a slot in next week?s C-USA Tournament and improves their record to 28-26 overall and 13-15 in league play. Cincinnati slips to 14-40 and 5-24 in C-USA with the defeat.
On the heels of Thursday night?s complete game by Jeff Brown, Price gave the Blazers eight outstanding innings to improve his record to 6-5 on the year. Price allowed only two runs (one earned) with four strikeouts and two walks in his time on the hill. The Bearcats did manage nine hits against Price, but by game?s end had left 15 runners on base.
The UAB offense also did its part, banging out 13 hits and taking advantage of a fit of wildness by the Cincinnati pitching staff which walked eight batters and hit seven more. Nathan McCorkle paced the Blazers with three hits, while Jeremy Moran picked up four RBI with two hits.
The Bearcat offense matched UAB?s hit total of 13, led by senior Aaron Moll. In his next to last collegiate game, Moll went 4-for-5, missing the cycle by just a triple and driving in three. Moll?s second inning homer was the first by a Bearcat player in UC Baseball Stadium and was Moll?s 10th of the season. Drew Saylor added a pair of hits, as did Brian Dill off the bench.
UAB started fast chasing starter and losing pitcher Chase Lampl (1-5) before the completion of the third inning. In the first, the Blazers led off with back-to-back singles, before Lampl hit Daniel Hill to load the bases. McCorkle put the visitors on the board with an RBI single and following a force play at the plate, Moran cleared the bases with at three-run double to deep center.
Things didn?t get much better for Lampl in the second as McCorkle?s second RBI single brought home Eugene Rodriguez. In the third, Lampl gave up an RBI double to Zac Ward and a run-scoring single to Levi Patmon to summon Josh Kay from the UC bullpen. Kay quickly extinguished the fire with two straight putouts, but ran into control problems in the fourth that spelled the end of his day. The Blazers sandwiched a hit by pitch around a pair of walks and then Kay incredibly hit three straight batters to force in runs and bring Brad Hunt out of the Bearcat pen to end the inning with two straight outs.
The Bearcats first got on the board in the second on Moll?s homer and made it a 10-2 game with a single run in the fifth. After Brian Beltz reached on an error to start the inning and Jack Nelson singled, Moll picked up his second RBI of the night with a double off the wall in left center.
On the mound, Hunt cruised through the fifth and sixth innings before running into trouble of his own in the seventh. With one out, Hill was hit for the third time in the game, just prior to two straight singles by McCorkle and Cole Helms. The Blazers took advantage of a fielder?s choice that scored one run and Seth Rollin rounded out the UAB scoring with an RBI single.
After leaving the bases loaded in the eighth inning, the Bearcats finally started to show signs of life in the final frame. With Eric Roberts on the mound, C-USA?s leader in appearances this season, UC started business with a walk to Nelson, before Steve Pickerell reached on a fielder?s choice that also saw Nelson make it to second safely. Moll then produced his third RBI with a single to left. One out later, Saylor singled to load the bases for Dill. The redshirt freshman came up big with an RBI single to left and Matt Ogden followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 12-5. Mark Muscenti then lined a single up the middle and following a walk to Brian Szarmach, Roberts was relieved on the mound. Ryan Huffman quickly ended the game getting Nelson on a deep fly ball to left.
The Bearcats will pull the curtain down on the 2004 season tomorrow with Senior Day beginning at 1 p.m., once again against the Blazers. Prior to the contest, UC?s trio of seniors, Moll, Pickerell and Greg Russell will be honored on the field. Jim Olds will get the start on the mound for UC, while UAB?s starter is yet to be announced.