TicketsApril 23, 2006
| "I am incredibly pleased with our performance this weekend. We knew going in this was a big weekend and our guys responded with a sweep. Today we just kept battling back and found a way to secure the sweep. This was just a great weekend of baseball." --UC head coach Brian Cleary |
While Szarmach provided the offensive fireworks for UC, it was Jack Nelson doing the job on the hill. After coming in during a tight spot in the fifth inning, Nelson went a career-high 4.1 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a personal-best eight to record his third win of the year. Cincinnati, which banged out 11 hits, got two each from Nelson, Szarmach, Jon DeLuca and Adam Yeager. Szarmach collected five RBI on the day, while Mark Muscenti had a pair.
Georgetown, now losers of five in a row, slide to 17-24, 5-10 BIG EAST. The Hoyas also collected 11 hits, with Ryan Craft, Matthew Maranges and Derek Degrijs all tallying a pair. Reliever Mark Dutmers got the loss after giving up three runs in just one-third of an inning of work.
"I am incredibly pleased with our performance this weekend," said Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary. "We knew going in this was a big weekend and our guys responded with a sweep. Today we just kept battling back and found a way to secure the sweep. This was just a great weekend of baseball."
The day started on a good note for the Bearcats, as Szarmach drilled a double to left center in the second inning to plate DeLuca. The Hoyas came back to tie the score when Craft drove a single up the middle in the third to drive in Matthew Bouchard. UC went right back in front in the bottom of the third as Muscenti singled to score Parker.
Things got ugly for Cincinnati in the fifth as Bouchard led off with a single to chase starting pitcher Kyle Rapp. Matt Heber took over on the hill and was touched for five hits as Georgetown scored four times to pull in front 5-2. With runners on second and third and two out, Heber was pulled in favor of Nelson and UC's DH/reliever struck out Timmy Jones to end the threat.
The home team would cut into the three-run deficit in its half of the fifth with a pair of markers to draw within one. Nelson helped himself, executing a perfect hit and run with a double down the left field line that scored Parker all the way from first. Following a wild pitch, Nelson raced home as Muscenti reached on an error.
That set the stage for the seventh inning explosion that saw all nine UC batters take a turn at the plate. Josh Harrison hit a first pitch single to left that spelled the end of the day for starter Darren Sizemore in favor of Dutmers. Parker than ripped a hard shot to GU first baseman Craft who fumbled the ball, allowing the former to reach first safely. Nelson tried to bunt both runners over, but he was able to beat the throw to first for a hit. DeLuca followed by tying the score with a single through the left side to bring Szarmach to the plate against Hoya closer Daniel Kennedy. Szarmach put a charge into a 2-0 Kennedy offering, going deep to right field for his second grand slam of the year and his sixth homer overall.
After working out of the fifth inning jam, Nelson allowed only a seventh inning lead-off single to Brandon Davis. He would proceed to retire the final nine batters in a row, five by strikeout, to preserve the Cincinnati sweep.
The Bearcats, now winners of five in a row, will look for redemption from last Monday's loss to Xavier when the Musketeers return to the UC Baseball Stadium on Tuesday night. First pitch between the cross-town rivals is set for 6:30 p.m.