TicketsBearcats Drop Heartbreaking Marathon
UC falls in season-opener, 7-6
Contact: Shawn Sell
2/11/2005
Mark Haske had three hits in his first game for UC. |
BOCA RATON, Fla.---A marathon game ended in bizarre fashion as No. 28 Florida Atlantic handed Cincinnati a heartbreaking 7-6, 13-inning defeat on Friday night in college baseball action at FAU Field. The match-up was the season-opener for both squads.
The Owls were able to push across the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Hafer. FAU loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an infield single to set the stage for Hafer?s heroics. The bizarre aspect of the inning came when Brian Lipman drew the second walk of the inning, but UC catcher Neall French made an errant throw to second on what proved to be ball four, allowing Tim Mascia to advance to third.
Florida Atlantic freshman Mickey Storey turned in the performance of the night, as he held the Bearcats hitless for the last 4.2 innings after UC recorded 10 hits in the first six-plus innings of play. Storey got the victory for the Owls, striking out six Bearcat hitters. Freshman Sean Munninghoff was the tough luck loser for the Bearcats.
?I thought our kids played really hard,? said Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary, following his first game as head coach in his hometown of Boca Raton. ?I am proud that they played so hard and I think as we get better and continue to play hard, we will get good results. But the story of the night was the performance of Storey.?
The defeat spoiled an outstanding first start of the season for Bearcat senior Tony Maynard. The former Freshman All-American threw six innings, allowing just two runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Mark Haske, in his first appearance in a Bearcat uniform, led the offense with three hits, while Erik Eitel added two.
UC looked as if they would open the season with a victory as they took a 6-3 lead into the ninth inning. FAU was able to force extra innings against Kyle Markle using a trio of bloop hits to spark the rally. Michael McBryde brought the first run of the frame across with a blooper to left, before Alex Silverman followed with a lazy hit to right. Mascia would then go on to tie the game with an infield single.
Early on, Maynard held the Owls? bats in check, allowing just one hit over the first three innings. FAU finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth, when Hafer plated two with a single to right center. The Bearcats quickly cut the deficit in half when Eitel ripped his third career homer to left field with one out in the fifth.
Cincinnati blew the game open in the top of the seventh inning, sending eight batters to the plate and scoring five runs. Mark Muscenti got the scoring started for the Bearcats as he doubled to left center to plate French. LaFringe Hayes then reached on an error, picking up an RBI as Eitel scampered home. That brought Haske to the plate for the key at-bat of the inning. The University of Alabama transfer hit what appeared to be a routine fly ball to center, but McBryde dropped the ball, allowing Hayes to come around to score and Haske to go all the way to third.
FAU got one of the runs back in its half of the seventh when Silverman hit an RBI single to right against Josh Kay.
After the Owls? came back to tie the game in the ninth, the home team continued to look for chances to win as the Bearcat relievers played with fire on numerous occasions. Mike Foley proved up to the task in the bottom of the 11th as he struck out two straight FAU hitters after Bryan Wood walked the bases loaded. The last of the 12th again saw Florida Atlantic threatening, before first baseman Logan Parker made the play of the game for the Bearcats. With just one out and runners on first and second, Silversmith hit a screamer down the line to Parker?s left. The former junior college standout made a diving stab at the liner, coming up with it and touching first to double off a surprised McBryde.
Florida Atlantic, an NCAA Tournament qualifier a year ago, finished the night with 14 hits, compared to 10 for the Bearcats. Silversmith led the Owl offense with three hits, while Hafer picked up three RBI. FAU starter Will Mann was also solid on the mound, allowing just one run on six hits, with a walk and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
The UC-FAU series continues with game two tomorrow, beginning at 2 p.m. Freshman Kevin Schrader will make his first collegiate start on the mound for the Bearcats, taking on the Owls? Mike Crotta.