TicketsApril 24, 2007
CINCINNATI, Ohio---For six innings, University of Cincinnati senior Nick Buscemi was cruising through the Xavier line-up. Unfortunately for the Bearcats and Buscemi, an eight-run Xavier seventh inning explosion ruined an otherwise great night as the Musketeers rallied for a 9-5 win at Marge Schott Stadium. The defeat drops UC's record to 21-18 on the season.
In the course of the first six frames, Buscemi was dominating, allowing only a third inning double and inducing 12 ground ball outs. But a relatively innocent error to start the seventh inning led to a Cincinnati meltdown that produced 14 Musketeers coming to the plate. Xavier tallied seven hits in the inning and was the beneficiaries of three Cincinnati errors along the way. When the smoke had cleared, five UC pitchers had tried to stop the bleeding to no avail as Xavier went in front to stay.
Xavier (20-21) senior hurler Dan Graham was the beneficiary of the scoring explosion as he picked up his first win of the season. Graham allowed the Bearcats four runs on eight hits, while walking two and striking out three.
Cincinnati got the night off to a fine start, racing to a 4-0 lead after four innings. After being held scoreless in the first two frames, UC knocked around Graham for four hits in a three-run third. Neall French delivered the big blow, ripping a two-out, two-run double to right to put the Bearcats on the scoreboard. Cameron Satterwhite followed and narrowly missed his ninth home run of the year when he banged a double off the left field wall to score French. The hosts went up 4-0 one inning later as Ryan Baker launched his second home run of the year over the wall in left centerfield.
On the mound, Buscemi was turning in one of the strongest outings of his entire Cincinnati career. The Carol Stream, Ill. native retired the first eight batters straight and following a double by Matt Waskerwitz, 10 more in a row.
That all changed in the seventh as Neil Lindgren reached on a lead-off error and went to third when Jordan Wolf singled and Brian Szarmach fumbled the ball in left. Sean Farrell then got the Musketeers on the board with a two-run single up the middle and Adam Lipski followed with a single of his own, moving up when Cameron Satterwhite airmailed a throw to third. After Buscemi walked Robbie Kelley to load the bases, he was lifted in favor of Billy Welsh. Welsh faired no better as he allowed what would prove to be the game-winning two-run double to Zac Richrad. Things continued to go down hill for the parade of Bearcat relievers as Tyler Aholt (two-run), Adam Pasono and Farrell all delivered RBI singles in the frame.
UC got one of the markers back on a Josh Harrison RBI single in the eight, but Xavier went back up four on a Farrell sac fly in the ninth. The Bearcats made one last push in their half of the ninth, getting the tying run to the plate in the form of French, but the senior slugger bounced out to second to end the game.
Tony Campana sparked the Cincinnati offense with three hits, while nabbing his 47th stolen base of the year to move into a tie for fourth on UC's career list. Harrison added a pair of hits and French had two RBI for UC.
Farrell led the Xavier offense with four RBI and two hits, while Richard and Aholt tallied two RBI apiece.
Cincinnati's busy week continues tomorrow with game two of five on the docket when the Bearcats meet Butler in Marge Schott Stadium at 6:30 p.m. The pitching match-up is slated to be UC sophomore right hander Michael Hill taking on Butler lefty Bryan Bokowy.