TicketsBearcats Turn Triple Play In Loss To USF
Haske turns unassisted feat
Contact: Shawn Sell
5/20/2005
Mark Haske turned an unassisted triple play vs. USF on Friday. |
TAMPA, Fla.---For the second time in as many days, USF handed Cincinnati a defeat, topping the Bearcats by a 6-2 score on Friday night at Red McEwen Field. The night did feature one of the rarest feats possible in baseball as UC senior shortstop Mark Haske turned an unassisted triple play.
With runners on first and second and nobody out in the second inning, Haske caught a liner off the bat of Jeff Baisley, stepped on second to double up Joey Angelberger, then tagged Bryan Hierlmeier to complete the triple play. Both runners had broken on UC hurler Mike Foley?s 3-2 pitch. The triple play was the first by a Bearcat team since 1964 vs. Louisville, prior to the birth of any of the UC players or coaches.
Unfortunately, the rest of the evening wasn?t so kind to the Bearcats as the Bulls took advantage of nine UC walks to score the victory. USF had just six hits on the night, but improve to 31-29 overall and 14-14 in Conference USA with the win, while the Bearcats fall to 25-29 and 10-18 with one game left on the 2005 schedule.
The night got off to a rough start for the Bearcats as starting pitcher Sean Munninghoff (4-5) walked the first four hitters on 16 pitches to bring an early end to his day. Matt Heber spelled his freshman classmate and walked Kris Howell to make it 3-0 early. After two outs were recorded, Ty Taborelli drew the seventh walk of the inning to force in the Bulls? fourth run of the inning.
UC got one of the markers back in the top of the second as Jon DeLuca reached on a one-out single, before moving to third on Jim Olds? base hit through the right side. The knock for Olds continued to extend his career-best hit streak which has reached 12 games. Jack Nelson then brought DeLuca home with a sacrifice fly.
USF got the run back in the bottom of the third as Dexter Butler lined a single to right field to score Brian Baisley. The Bulls tacked on their sixth and final run of the inning with one out in the sixth as Butler led off with a triple and scored on Taborelli?s sacrifice fly.
In the sixth, LaFringe Hayes led off with a double and moved to third on a single by Mark Muscenti. Haske then reached on an infield single that scored Hayes, but Haske was thrown out trying to reach second after second baseman Angelberger?s throw was errant.
On the mound, USF freshman Daniel Thomas was in control for most of the night. Thomas limited UC to two runs and six hits with no walks and six strikeouts to improve to 8-4 on the year. After getting off to the rough start, Foley gave the Bearcats a solid 5.2 innings out of the bullpen. Foley limited USF to just two runs on six hits to keep UC in the contest. Josh Kay pitched the final 1.1 innings to extend his scoreless innings streak to 22.1.
USF?s offensive was paced by Brian Baisley and Butler who each collected a pair of hits. Haske and Olds recorded two each for the Bearcats.
To put Haske?s triple play into historical perspective, just 12 unassisted triple plays have been recorded in Major League Baseball history. The feat also marks the second triple play the Bearcats have been involved in during the last 10 days. UC hit into a triple play on May 11 vs. Xavier.
UC will put the wraps on the 2005 season tomorrow, finishing up its three-game series at USF. Nick Buscemi will start on the hill for UC, facing the Bulls? Blake Tillet.