TicketsApril 18, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Xavier's Adam Lipski hit the game-winning home run in the top of the ninth inning and Cincinnati left the tying run on third a half inning later, as the visiting Musketeers took an 11-10 win over the Bearcats on Monday night at the UC Baseball Stadium. The loss, Cincinnati's third straight, also snaps the Bearcats' four-game winning streak over their crosstown rivals.
The Bearcats (20-15) were able to overcome a 10-4 deficit in the sixth inning with a six-run outburst, but 12 men left on base and 11 walks led to UC's demise. Xavier improves to 12-26 with the victory.
UC recorded 11 hits on the night, with four different players tallying two each. Mark Muscenti enjoyed a solid all around game, connecting on his first home run of the year, drawing a walk and a single and two hit by pitch. The senior also matched his career-high with four runs scored. Jack Nelson and Logan Parker each doubled and drove in two runs in the defeat.
Matt Waskerwitz led Xavier with three hits, while Sean Brewer had two. Neil Lindgren homered and drove in three and Andy Zellers had two RBI for Xavier.
The evening got off to a rough start for both pitching staffs as the scoreboard showed a 2-2 tie after one inning of play. After XU got two against Nick Buscemi in the top of the inning, the Bearcats chased Muskie starter Bill Konecny after just two-thirds of an inning in the bottom of the frame. Four walks and a hit by pitch proved to be Konecny's undoing in the two-run UC frame.
The Bearcats pulled into a 4-2 lead with single runs in each of the second and fourth innings. The second inning saw Muscenti launch his first homer of the year, while Nelson went the other way for an RBI single in the fourth to score the former.
The wheels started to come off for UC in the fifth as five walks led to five Xavier runs that made it a 7-4 game. In addition to a pair of bases loaded walks, Waskerwitz added an RBI single, just prior to a two-run double by Zellers. Xavier continued to pour it on in the sixth as a three-run Lindgren home run pushed the visitors ahead by a 10-4 count.
With Xavier on the verge of winning in a runaway, UC responded with six game-tying runs in the sixth to once again even the score. Cincinnati sent 12 hitters to the plate in the inning, pounding out seven hits, but leaving the bases loaded. Josh Harrison and Muscenti led the inning off with singles and were quickly driven home by a two-run Parker double. Nelson followed with a two-bagger of his own to make it 10-7 and Jon DeLuca worked a walk to put two runners on. Brett Greenwell then relieved Mark Janszen on the mound and promptly yielded a bunt single to Adam Yeager on an attempted sacrifice bunt. Brian Szarmach then drove an RBI single through the left side and one out later, LaFringe Hayes tied the game with a two-run single to center. Greenwell would settle down though to end the inning when Parker hit into a fielder's choice.
After Lipski led the Xavier ninth off with the game-winner, UC sent the top of its order to the dish in the last half of the frame. Harrison drew a walk to start the inning and was moved to second on a Muscenti bunt against relief pitcher Steve Sakosits. Parker then ripped a hard grounder to the right side that was gloved by Brewer for the second out. Sakosits then got Nelson to fly out to center to preserve the Xavier victory.
Greenwell pitched three innings of one run, three-hit baseball to improve to 3-2 on the year. Sakosits got the last three outs for his second save. A.J. Upton turned in a career-high 4.2 innings of work, but took the loss, falling to 1-1 on the year.
"I am extremely disappointed to lose, but it seemed to be a given with the way we played," stated UC head coach Brian Cleary. "I thought we just had a poor performance, especially on the mound. It's difficult to win when you pitch the way that we did."
Cincinnati continues a busy week, hosting another in-state rival when Dayton visits the UC Baseball Stadium on Wednesday. First pitch between the Bearcats and Flyers is set for 6:30 p.m.