TicketsMay 24, 2006
CLEARWATER, Fla.---A six-run fourth inning spelled doom and led to the end of the 2006 baseball season for Cincinnati as the Bearcats fell to Rutgers, 13-7 on Wednesday in an elimination game of the 2006 BIG EAST Championship at Bright House Networks Field. The year ends for UC with a record of 32-26, a seven-game improvement in the win column over last year.
Rutgers (28-27-1) got to Cincinnati pitching ace Steve Blevins for nine runs in 3.1 innings, chasing the freshman after his shortest stint of the year. The big inning featured 11 Scarlet Knight batters coming to the plate and five total hits. Mike Bionde provided the big hit of the inning, hitting a three-run double against relief pitcher Matt Heber.
Cincinnati actually had a very productive offensive day, finishing with 15 hits, including a BIG EAST Championship record seven doubles. Adam Yeager had three hits, including a pair of two-baggers, while Brian Szarmach also had two doubles. Logan Parker, Jack Nelson and Nick Maragas added two hits apiece for Cincinnati.
The Bearcats jumped on the board first, using a second inning Jon DeLuca home run to take a 1-0 lead. Szarmach followed with a double and came around to score when LaFringe Hayes singled, but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. Rutgers answered right back with a three-spot in the bottom of the inning, starting with a one-out solo home run by Frank Meade. Later in the inning Luis Feliz and Jeff Grose produced back-to-back RBI singles to put the Scarlet Knights in front 3-2.
Cincinnati had a response of its own in the top of the third as Parker doubled to deep right center to score Yeager. The Scarlet Knights then took the lead for good in its half of the third, as a two-run homer by David Williams started the scoring. Bionde would follow later with a run-scoring single that plated Meade.
Blevins' day came to an end in the fourth as Rutgers exploded for six runs. Grose started the frame with a single and scored on a massive home run to center by Todd Frazier. After an out, Williams hit Blevins for a double, spelling the end of the latter's day. Evan Sanford was next on the mound and he promptly allowed two walks and an RBI single by Tim Querns to mark the end of his appearance. With the bases packed, Bionde hammered a Heber offering into the left field to corner that cleared the bases and put the Scarlet Knights up 12-3. Rutgers scored its final run in the fifth when Ryan Hill scored following a Cincinnati error.
The Bearcats fought to the end, scoring once in the seventh and three more times in the ninth. Nelson singled in the seventh with two outs, allowing Yeager to score after the latter's second double of the day. In the ninth, UC finally chased Rutgers starter Sean Spicer (7-4) after 8.1 innings. With one out, Yeager and Josh Harrison reached on consecutive singles and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Parker then grounded an RBI single through the right side to score one and Nelson followed, greeting reliever Chris Lillis with a two-run double to left. Lillis settled down from there, retiring the final two hitters to end the game.
Rutgers got three hits each from Williams and Bionde, with the latter also driving in four. Grose, Frazier and Meade added two hits each for the Scarlet Knights.