TicketsLeMasters The Hero Of Bearcat Victory
UC scores 3-2, 10-inning win
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/30/2005
Pat LeMasters hit the game-winning homer on Saturday night at East Carolina. |
GREENVILLE, N.C.---Senior Pat LeMasters played the role of hero as his lead-off homer in the top of the 10th inning gave Cincinnati a 3-2 win over East Carolina in a Conference USA thriller on Saturday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
LeMasters, in just his 26th at-bat of the season, ripped the first pitch he saw from ECU?s Scott Andrews deep to left field for his first longball of the season. The win, critical for the Bearcats as they try to stay in the hunt for a berth in next month?s C-USA Tournament, improves UC?s record to 7-12 in league play and 19-21 overall. East Carolina falls to 25-17, 10-10 C-USA.
Josh Kay picked up his first win of the year in relief of Tony Maynard, working three shutout innings. Andrews (3-3) was pinned with the defeat after allowing LeMasters? home run in 2.1 innings on the hill.
The Bearcats had to overcome an early deficit as East Carolina took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second inning. Drew Costanzo led the frame off with a long home run to right. The Pirates plated their second run when Jake Smith scored on a double play.
Cincinnati started its comeback in the fifth when Brian Szarmach led the inning off with his team-leading ninth home run of the season. Szarmach was at the center of the Bearcats? second run two innings later when he lined a one-out single to right. On the play, ECU right fielder Harrison Eldridge bobbled the ball, allowing Szarmach to race all the way to third. Jon DeLuca followed with his team-leading 31st RBI with a run-scoring groundout.
On the mound, Maynard kept the Bearcats in the game with a gutsy performance. UC?s staff ace allowed just two runs on seven hits, while walking four and striking out three. Kay came on after a lead-off single in the eighth and yielded just one hit in three innings. He worked out of trouble in the ninth after walking the lead-off batter and did the same following a lead-off single in the 10th. In the last inning, Brian Cavanaugh dropped a bloop single to right center, but Mark Minicozzi?s bunt attempt was unsuccessful as Kay caught the pop up. Kay then induced pinch-hitter Adam Hodges to hit into a double play, UC?s third of the night, to wrap up the victory.
LaFringe Hayes and Szarmach paced the Bearcat offense with two hits apiece. Cavanaugh led the Pirates with a pair of hits.
The rubber game of the series is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday. A pair of freshman pitchers will get the starts as UC?s Sean Munninghoff will take on ECU?s T.J. Hose.