TicketsFive-Run Seventh Pushes Wake To Win Over UC
Beltz, Szarmach homer in defeat
Contact: Shawn Sell
2/26/2005
LaFringe Hayes had two hits and scored four runs on Saturday at Wake Forest. |
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.---A grand slam by Ryder Mathias highlighted a five-run seventh inning and led Wake Forest to an 11-7 win over Cincinnati in college baseball action on Saturday afternoon at Gene Hooks Stadium.
With the score tied at six heading into the seventh, Wake took advantage of four walks to pack the sacks for Mathias. The Wake senior drove a Mike Foley offering to deep left to put the home team in front for good.
Kip Byrum picked up the win for Wake, allowing just one run in 2.2 innings of work. The Deacons are now 4-6 on the year with the win. David Theobald (0-1) took the loss for UC, which slips to 3-5 on the season.
Mark Haske had three hits to lead the Bearcat offense, while Brian Beltz and Brian Szarmach each homered for UC. LaFringe Hayes accounted for two hits and two walks, while scoring four runs.
Brendan Enick continued his hot series for Wake Forest, going 3-for-4. J.B. Tucker had two hits, while Brett Linnenkohl drove in two runs and Mathias tacked on four.
Cincinnati got off to another hot start, jumping to a 4-0 lead after an inning and a half. Logan Parker got the Bearcats on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly in the first, before UC went on a three-run outburst in the second. Beltz led off the frame with a solo homer to right, prior to an RBI groundout by Mark Muscenti and a run-scoring double by Jack Nelson.
Wake got three of the runs back in its half of the second on an RBI single by Matt Miller and a run-scoring groundout by Linnenkohl. The Deacons scored once more in the third on an RBI single by Enick.
UC pushed back in front at 5-4, with a single run in the fourth, coming on a sacrifice fly by Nelson. In the last of the fifth, Wake went on top for the first time with two runs, one coming on a passed ball and one on an infield single by Casey Sterk. The Deacons wouldn?t lead for long, however, as Cincinnati scored on a RBI fielder?s choice by Nelson in the sixth to tie the game.
That set the stage for Wake?s five-run, go-ahead inning pushed the home team ahead to stay. UC got one of the runs back in the top of the eighth on Szarmach?s second home run of the weekend.
Inconsistency on the mound plagued the Bearcats throughout the day as four UC hurlers combined to walk 12 batters and hit four more, taking away from a season-high 14-hit performance from the Bearcats offense. UC also left 12 runners on base for the day.
?The difference today was that Wake got a big hit when they needed it and we didn?t,? stated Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary. ?We left a lot of guys on base and couldn?t break the game open when we had the chances. We simply walked too many guys and made it difficult for ourselves by not throwing enough strikes.?
The Bearcats also dropped the opening game of the series, which concluded prior to today?s contest after darkness suspended the affair in on Friday night. In that game, Wake Forest rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning for a 10-9 victory.
UC will try to avoid being swept for the second time this season, when they visit Wake for game three on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Freshman Sean Munninghoff will get the start for the Bearcats, taking on Wake?s Matt Hammond.