TicketsBlack Team Scores Series Clinching Win
Eitel, Kay help team to win
Contact: Shawn Sell
11/22/2004
Josh Kay was the winning pitcher in game five of the Red/Black World Series. |
CINCINNATI, Ohio---The Black team overcame a three-run first inning deficit and picked up a 6-4 win in the fifth and final game of the University of Cincinnati?s Red/Black World Series on Sunday afternoon at the UC Baseball Stadium. The victory clinches the intrasquad series for the Black team and marks the conclusion of the Bearcats? fall practice.
Senior Erik Eitel led the Black team to the win as he picked up three doubles, while scoring a run and driving in another. Logan Parker added two RBI, while Mark Haske, Brian Szarmach and Elliot Salcedo each tacked on one RBI each.
Josh Kay picked up the pitching victory for the Black team after allowing just one hit with four strikeouts in two innings of relief. Mike Foley recorded the last three outs of the eight-inning contest to earn his second save of the series.
The Red team jumped to a 3-0 first inning lead when junior college transfer Neall French cracked a three-run homer to right off of Black team starter Sean Munninghoff. The squad added another run in the third inning as Jim Olds doubled to score French. Red looked have the advantage as starting pitcher Bryan Wood was in control, allowing just one hit and four walks in four innings of work.
But it was when Wood departed in the fifth inning in place of freshman Matt Heber that the Black team began its march to victory. The Black team plated four, game-tying runs in the top of the fifth inning to even the score and eliminate Wood from a possible win. A trio of doubles helped the Black team even the score with the first coming off the bat of Eitel. The senior outfielder?s shot to left center allowed Mark Muscenti to score the team?s first run of the day. Haske followed with a two-bagger of his own to score Sacledo and make it a 4-2 game. That brought Parker to the plate and the former New Mexico JC star took full advantage, banging a game-tying two-run double to center.
The sixth inning wasn?t much better for the Red team as the Black squad drew to a one-run advantage, again courtesy of the double. With one out in the inning, Muscenti doubled to right center and moved to third on a fly ball out. Salcedo then came through with an RBI single to left that put the Black team in front. An inning later, with freshman lefty Mike Rosa on the hill, Haske put him self in scoring position by drawing a walk, stealing second and then moving to third on a balk. Szarmach then gave the Black team a two-run cushion with an RBI single.
The Red team put together one last rally with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Foley started the inning off with back-to-back strikeouts, before Pat LeMasters and Isaiah Stayton reached on singles and Andrew Jarzabek drew a walk. That brought David Oberly to the plate and the freshman hit a slow roller to Haske at shortstop that the former University of Alabama player gloved and fired to Parker at first for the series clinching out.
French who had two hits, two runs and three RBI led the Red team for the day. LeMasters and Jon DeLuca each added two hits in a losing effort. Heber absorbed the loss, his first decision of the series, after allowing five runs and six hits in two innings of work.
With the fall practice season complete, the Bearcats will now prepare for their season opening series Feb. 11-13 at Florida Atlantic. The team will open the home portion of the 2005 schedule in the UC Baseball Stadium March 4-6 against Cleveland State.