TicketsBig Crowd Takes In Bearcat Victory
Theobald earns second straight win
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/20/2005
Mark Haske had four hits in UC's win over Kentucky. |
CINCINNATI, Ohio---In front of a season-best crowd of 1,013 on Greek Night at the UC Baseball Stadium, Cincinnati handed Kentucky a 7-2 defeat on Wednesday night in non-conference baseball action.
The Bearcats, who have won six of their last seven contests to improve to 16-17 on the year, tallied 12 hits against five Wildcat pitchers, with five going for extra-bases. Mark Haske led the balanced attack with four hits, while Jim Olds knocked home two.
UC got a second straight outstanding start from redshirt freshman hurler David Theobald (2-1). Theobald went five innings on the hill, allowing just two runs on five hits, with two walks and one strikeout. Kyle Markle went the final 3.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits to earn the first save of his collegiate career.
Kentucky, which falls to 19-17 with the defeat, totaled nine hits for the game, including three by lead-off man J.B. Schmidt. Starter and losing pitcher Alex Jordan lasted just 2.2 innings, yielding five runs (three earned) on six hits.
Cincinnati capitalized on a Kentucky error in the second to get its first two runs of the night. With one out and a runner on first, UK shortstop Ryan Wilkes booted a possible double play ball with Jon DeLuca at the plate. One out later, Olds made the Wildcats pay by banging a two-run double off the left field wall to plate Mark Muscenti and DeLuca.
The Bearcats displayed outstanding two-out hitting an inning later, stringing together three straight doubles to score three runs. With two outs and Haske on second, Jack Nelson drove a double through the right side to score the former. Muscenti followed with a two-bagger to right, just prior to DeLuca?s double to right center.
Kentucky took advantage of Bearcat fielding miscues in the fourth and fifth innings to draw within 5-2. In the fourth, Shaun Lehman led off with a double, bringing Billy Grace to the plate. Grace lifted a fly ball to right center that saw UC outfielders LaFringe Hayes and Kevin Schrader collide, but Schrader was able to hang on to the ball. An alert Lehman tagged all the way from second for UK?s first run of the game. In the fifth, Antone DeJesus laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt that Theobald fielded, but his throw to first was wild, allowing J.P. Lowen to trot home.
Despite the two miscues, the Bearcats were strong on defense, turning two double plays and catching a pair of runners in rundowns between third and home during the course of the game.
UC gave itself a pair of insurance runs late, with one coming in the sixth and another in the eighth. Logan Parker kept the double barrage going in the sixth, driving his team-best 11th two-bagger to right, scoring Erik Eitel. Two innings later, Eitel again led off with a single and moved up on Olds? second sac bunt of the night. Following a single by Hayes, Haske drove Eitel home with his fourth single of the night.
?I feel like we have really been playing well lately,? said Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary. ?It starts on the mound and it makes it easier to win when we pitch well. I am really proud of the effort Theobald gave us tonight and Markle was really good. I thought we swung the bats well too. The three-run inning we put up may be the best inning we?ve had all year.?
The Bearcats will be back at it this weekend when they take to the road for a three-game set at UAB. Action from Birmingham gets underway on Friday night at 7 p.m. CT.