TicketsBearcats Drop SLU Opener, 6-2
UC limited to seven hits in defeat
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/8/2005
Jon DeLuca had a two-run double vs. Saint Louis. |
ST. LOUIS, Mo.---Eric Rohr pitched six shutout innings to lead Saint Louis to a 6-2 win over Cincinnati in the opening game of a Conference USA series on Friday night at the Billiken Sports Center.
Rohr allowed just four hits, while striking out six UC hitters to earn his first win of the year. The Bearcats, who have now lost three straight, fall to 10-16 overall and 1-8 in C-USA play. Saint Louis is 6-21, 2-8 C-USA.
Brian Szarmach collected two of Cincinnati?s seven hits for the night, while Jon DeLuca provided both of the runs with a two-run double in the eighth inning. Three Billiken batters produced two hits each, while John Bridges had three RBI.
Saint Louis broke onto the scoreboard in the third inning, beginning its rally with Bridges getting hit by a Tony Maynard pitch. Pat Steinhoff followed with an RBI double inside the left field line that scored Bridges. Steinhoff than raced home on Drew Eder?s RBI single.
While Rohr was shutting down the Bearcats, Maynard also settled into a groove before running into a jam in the seventh. Saint Louis loaded the bases on two walks (one intentional) and a hit by pitch, bringing John Guyre to the plate with the bases loaded. Josh Kay spelled Maynard on the hill and promptly struck Guyre out. But Bridges came up big, clearing the bases with a double to center.
UC got its two runs in the eighth, with Kevin Schrader drawing a one-out walk and going to third on a double by Mark Haske. DeLuca than drove both runners home with a double to right center. The Bearcats looked to keep the rally going, but a long fly by Logan Parker into right center was nabbed by Guyre as he crashed against the wall for the third out of the inning.
Saint Louis added an insurance run with a Scott Peden solo homer in the ninth against Mike Foley.
After Rohr (1-3) left, Charlie Blume and B.J. Rodrigue followed him to the mound, with Rodrigue retiring the final four hitters for his second save. Maynard (4-2) was much better than his numbers showed, allowing five runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.
UC will be out to snap its three-game losing streak, returning to action in St. Louis, tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT. Justin Minges will make his first C-USA start in two seasons for UC, taking on SLU?s Ryan Bird.