TicketsApril 22, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Cincinnati once again put its high-powered on display as the Bearcats clinched a BIG EAST series victory with an 18-2 win over Georgetown on Saturday at the UC Baseball Stadium. The triumph, played in front of a season-high crowd of 562, improves UC's record to 23-15 overall and 7-7 in BIG EAST play. Based on the results of other conference action today, UC has moved into a tie for fifth place in the league standings.
For the second day in a row, Cincinnati received an outstanding performance from a freshman starting pitcher. This time, it was lefty Dan Osterbrock who picked up his first career victory after limiting Georgetown (17-23, 5-9 BIG EAST) to two runs on five hits in seven innings of action. The freshman struck out just one, but enjoyed stretches of retiring seven and nine in a row.
The offensive output came from a number of sources as all nine Bearcat starters had at least one of UC's 13 hits and scored at least one run. Four players recorded multiple hits, including Logan Parker who tallied his eighth home run of the year, while driving in six runs.
Georgetown actually got on the scoreboard first as Matthew Bouchard drew a one out walk and went to third on Timmy Jones' single. Ryan Craft followed with a ground ball to first that allowed Bouchard to come home for the day's first run. Drew Dargen looked to put the Hoyas up by two when he ripped a single through the right side but UC right fielder Josh Harrison came up throwing and pegged Jones at the plate for the final out of the inning.
The Bearcats would get on the scoreboard for the first time in the third inning, using a four-run outburst to go-ahead for good. LaFringe Hayes tied the game when he ripped a double off the right center field wall and Parker followed two batters later with a two-run single that made it 3-1. Jack Nelson kept the ball rolling when he laced a double into the right field corner.
After allowing the first inning run, Osterbrock settled into a groove and retired seven straight hitters. The fourth inning had much the same feel as the first as Brandon Davis drove a single through the left side that plated Craft. But as had been the case three innings prior, UC's outfielder came up firing and this time it was Brian Szarmach gunning down Dargen at the plate to keep the Hoyas' from their third run.
Cincinnati would blow the game open in the fifth, sending 13 batters to the plate and battering the Hoyas for eight runs. Nelson and Mark Muscenti started the inning with walks and Jon DeLuca was safe when pitcher Andy Ferich bobbled his sacrifice bunt attempt. That paved the way for a Szarmach RBI single and a bases loaded walk to Adam Yeager that spelled the end of the day for Ferich. Nick Maragas greeted reliever Mike Hoy with a single up the middle and Hayes followed with a run-scoring hit of his own. With two runners on, Harrison drew a walk and Parker followed with a grand slam off the foul pole down the right field line to put the Bearcats in the driver's seat at 14-2.
Following the eight-run outburst, Osterbrock again settled in, retiring nine consecutive batters before yielding a single and hitting a batter in the seventh. Faced with one of few jams he would face all game long, Osterbrock struck out Matthew Johnson to end the threat.
The Bearcats rounded out their scoring in the seventh, again batting around and putting four more runs on the board. DeLuca got the inning going with an RBI single and Yeager followed two batters later with a sacrifice fly to left. Maragas then put a period on the UC scoring, driving a double to left center for the final two runs.
"We have gotten some really impressive outings on the mound from our freshman pitchers this weekend," stated UC head coach Brian Cleary. "I thought he key for Osterbrock was getting ahead in the count and placing his fastball. He also had a good breaking ball today."
Georgetown was limited to just five hits, with Dargen collecting two. Hoyas' starter Stephen Burns (4-3) was hit with the loss after giving up six runs and seven hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Cincinnati will go for the series sweep tomorrow, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. UC will go with junior lefty Kyle Rapp, taking on Georgetown freshman right-hander Darren Sizemore.