TicketsFeb. 23, 2007
GREENSBORO, N.C.---Steve Blevins has to be wondering by now just what is going on with his University of Cincinnati baseball team. For the third time in as many times as the sophomore has taken the mound, the 2006 Freshman All-American pitched well enough to win, but his team failed to give him the necessary run support. That formula led to another close loss for the Bearcats, this one a 4-2 decision to North Carolina A&T on Friday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium.
The Aggies' (1-1) got 6.1 quality innings from Chris Eggers and three timely RBI from Joe McIntyre in dropping the Bearcats to 1-5 on the young season. UC, which averaged just over seven runs per game entering the series, have now scored a combined eight runs in Blevins' three starts. Blevins struck out eight in his seven innings of work, giving him 17 K's in his last two starts. North Carolina A&T got four runs and nine hits off Blevins during the outing.
Josh Harrison continued his strong play with another two hits, giving him three multi-hit games for the year. Brian Szarmach also picked up a pair of knocks for the Bearcats.
After breezing through the first inning, Blevins found trouble in the second as he walked lead-off batter Jeremy Jones and surrendered a double off the top of the wall to Charlie Gamble after the latter forced a lengthy at-bat by fouling off numerous Blevins' offerings. After Kory Kinnear reached on a hit by pitch, McIntyre dropped a two-run single into right center field to put the home team up 2-0.
The fourth inning was much of the same story as three straight singles by Gamble, Kinnear and McIntyre made it a 3-0 game. One out later, Lester Rivenbark lifted a sacrifice fly to center to give the Aggies a four-run lead.
Meanwhile, Eggers cruised through the first six frames, allowing UC just a pair of hits. In the seventh, Harrison singled to start the inning and was on third after a wild pitch and a balk. Adam Yeager then put the Bearcats on the board, driving a single to left the plate Harrison. After Yeager stole second, Szarmach singled him home, spelling the end of the day for Eggers.
UC put together a last ditch effort in the ninth and nearly tied the game if not for a game-saving play by Aggies' shortstop Nick Mayo. With one out and a man on first, Szarmach lofted a fly to left that Jones lost in the sun for a double. After Ronald Phelps got a ground ball out, Dustin Alvey lined a shot that Mayo lept for and caught, robbing Alvey of a potential two-run single.
McIntyre was the leader of the North Carolina A&T offense with two hits and three RBI, while Gamble added a pair of hits and runs. Eggers allowed just two runs on five hits, while striking out four in his first outing of 2007.
The balance of the UC's weekend schedule has been altered due to the forecast of heavy rains on Sunday. The Bearcats and Aggies will play a doubleheader, consisting of two nine-inning games beginning at Noon on Saturday. The team will return to Cincinnati following the conclusion of the second game.