TicketsUC Wraps Up SLU Series With 9-3 Win
Muscenti, Szarmach homer in win
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/10/2005
Matt Heber got his first career win Sunday at Saint Louis. |
ST. LOUIS, Mo.---Cincinnati wrapped up its first Conference USA series win of the season with a 9-3 win over Saint Louis on Sunday afternoon at the Billiken Sports Center. UC improves to 12-16 overall and 3-8 in league play with the win, the team?s second in two days over Saint Louis.
Matt Heber earned his first career victory on the mound with 3.2 outstanding innings of relief. LaFringe Hayes continued his red hot hitting since returning from injury, going 3-for-4 on the day to finish the series 7-for-9. Brian Szarmach and Mark Muscenti added homers for the Bearcats.
Saint Louis (6-23, 2-10 C-USA) got two hits and two RBI from Scott Peden. ET Ratte-Delorme took the loss, allowing four runs in five innings of work.
Cincinnati started the scoring early, getting a Hayes run in the first on a wild pitch. The Billikens matched the marker in their half of the first on a Paden RBI single.
The Bearcats continued their scoring output with single runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Hayes plated Jack Nelson with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, while Mark Haske drove home Jim Olds with a run-scoring groundout in the fourth. Szarmach took over the team lead in homers in the fifth inning, driving a deep shot down the left field line for his sixth home run of the year.
Saint Louis cut its deficit to 4-2 in the sixth inning, with a single run. Patrick Valdez led the inning off with a triple to left center that eluded a diving Hayes and eventually scored on a fielder?s choice by John Guyre.
Clinging to a lead of just two runs, UC put the game out of reach in the ninth inning, authoring a five-run frame that saw the Bearcats bat around. Szarmach got the scoring ball rolling with a two-run single to left and one out later, Muscenti launched his second homer of the year over the left field wall with two runners on.
The Billikens wrapped up the day?s scoring with an RBI fielder?s choice by Peden in the bottom of the ninth.
UC will look to stretch its winning streak to three when they hit the road for non-conference action at Xavier on Wednesday (April 14). First pitch from Hayden Field is set for 3 p.m.