TicketsBearcats Fall At UAB, 5-2
Olds, DeLuca pace offense
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/22/2005
Jon DeLuca drove in both of UC's runs at UAB on Friday. |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.---Cincinnati recorded 11 hits, but 11 men left on base proved too much to overcome as UAB handed the Bearcats a 5-2 setback on Friday night in the opener of a Conference USA baseball series.
Cole Helms held the Bearcats scoreless for seven innings and Seth Rollin delivered a pair of timely hits to carry the Blazers to the win. UAB improves to 24-14 overall and 9-7 in C-USA with the victory, while the Bearcats slip to 16-18, 5-10 C-USA.
Jim Olds continued his hot hitting for UC, recording three hits, while Mark Haske added two. Rollin tripled and homered for the Blazers, while tallying three RBI. Clint Toomey and Zac Ward each contributed two hits for UAB.
After a 50-minute rain delay before the start of the fourth inning, UAB posted the first two runs of the night in the bottom of the frame. With one out and a man on second, Rollin lifted his sixth homer of the year down the left field line against UC starter Tony Maynard (5-3).
The Blazers put up another two runs in the sixth and again it was Rollin providing the spark. Helms led the inning off with a double and came around to score on Rollin?s three-bagger into the right field corner. Ward then plated Rollin with a single down the left field line past a drawn in infield. UAB extended its lead to 5-0 on Toomey?s first career homer, a solo shot in the seventh.
UC finally dented the scoreboard in its half of the eighth, getting back-to-back singles by Haske and Logan Parker to open the stanza. After UAB reliever Ryan Huffman retired the next two hitters, he hit Mark Muscenti with a pitch to load the bases. Jon DeLuca came through with a two-run single through the left side to bring his team-best RBI total to 27.
The Bearcats put together one last rally in the ninth against Blazer closer Eric Roberts, but came up short in the end. Olds led off with a double and one out later moved to third on Haske?s single. Roberts recovered to strike Parker out swinging, before getting Brian Szarmach looking to end the contest.
Helms improved to 3-0 on the year, allowing just six hits and a walk during his seven innings. The senior also struck out five. Roberts picked up his eighth save in relief for UAB. Maynard allowed five runs on eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts in seven innings.
Game two of the three-game set is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. CT. Justin Minges will start for the Bearcats, taking on UAB?s Jeff Brown.