TicketsApril 29, 2006
LOUISVILLE, Ky.---Cincinnati missed a chance for a series sweep of Louisville as the Cardinals held the Bearcats to three hits in a 14-2 win in game two of a Saturday doubleheader. The weekend was still a productive one for the Bearcats who hold sole possession of fourth place in the BIG EAST with a 10-8 league record. UC is 27-16 overall, its highest win total since 2001.
The Bearcats actually jumped to a 1-0 lead as Josh Harrison raced home on a first inning wild pitch by starting hurler Jake Smith. The lead wouldn't last as Louisville (18-26, 8-10 BIG EAST) scored four straight runs to carry a 4-1 lead into the fifth inning. Logan Parker cut the Cardinal lead in half with an RBI single, but that would prove to be as close at UC would get.
Louisville blew the game open with a single run in the fifth, before exploding for six more in the sixth to turn the game into a runaway. The sixth inning was highlighted by back-to-back home runs by Louisville, first a three-run blast by Daniel Burton, immediately followed by a solo shot from Isaiah Howes. The Cards would go on to tack on two more runs in the seventh and a single run in the eighth to round out the evening's scoring.
Pete Rodriguez and Derrick Alfonso paced the Cardinals at the plate with three hits each. The latter, along with Logan Johnson and Howes drove in two runs apiece, while Burton had three RBI.
U of L reliever Griffin Bailey picked up the pitching victory, pitching 2.1 shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts to improve to 2-2 on the year. UC starter Kyle Rapp (1-6) was dealt the loss, yielding four runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of work.
The Bearcats are back in action on Wednesday, hosting Morehead State in a doubleheader. The two seven inning games will get underway at 4 p.m.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.---Cincinnati used a six-run third inning to run away from Louisville, winning by a 9-2 score in game one of a BIG EAST doubleheader on Saturday at Patterson Stadium. The victory clinches UC's second consecutive conference series win and ups the squad's record to 27-15, 10-7 BIG EAST. Louisville falls to 17-26, 8-9.The Bearcats got a career-high four hits from Mark Muscenti, who also matched a season-best with three RBI. UC got the pitching from Dan Osterbrock, Matt Heber and Jack Nelson, with the former earning his second win of the season. Nelson went the last 3.1 innings for his second save.
In the third inning, UC sent 10 batters to the plate against starting pitcher and losing pitcher Brian Halford (3-3). Logan Parker got the ball rolling, ripping an RBI single through the right side for a 1-0 lead. After a single by Nelson, Muscenti drove a two-run single through the right side for UC's second and third runs. Jon DeLuca followed with an RBI single down the left field line, just prior to a two-run single by Brian Szarmach.
Cincinnati pulled into an 8-0 lead in the seventh as Adam Yeager ripped a two-run double into left centerfield. Louisville countered with a pair in its half of the seventh, taking advantage of two UC errors. Derrick Alfonso drove in U of L's first run of the series with a double into right center. Daniel Burton cut Cincinnati's lead to 8-2 with a run-scoring single through the left side.
The Bearcats rounded out the scoring in the eighth as Muscenti picked up an RBI single.
Osterbrock was solid on the mound, limiting Louisville to seven hits in 5.1 shutout innings, while striking out five. Nelson allowed both of the runs, but struck out five in 3.1 innings of relief.
Five different Bearcats drove in runs and all nine collected at least one hit. In addition to Muscenti's four, Nelson and LaFringe Hayes finished with two apiece.
Chris Cates, Jorge Castillo and Isaiah Howes finished with two hits each for Louisville.