TicketsApril 25, 2007
CINCINNATI, Ohio---On Tuesday night against Xavier, things went great for Cincinnati for six innings, but a seventh inning undoing proved costly in the Bearcat loss. One evening later, no such breakdown occurred as the Bearcats were strong in all facets of their game in cruising past Butler by a 12-3 score. The victory sets the Bearcats up for a weekend series with Villanova holding a 22-18 record.
Against the Bulldogs, the Bearcats fired on all cylinders, pounding out 12 hits, committing only one error and getting outstanding pitching performances from a trio of hurlers. What started out as a tight game (UC led 4-0 after four innings) turned into a rout as Cincinnati rocked the Butler bullpen for eight runs in a two inning span late in the going.
Michael Hill (4-2) was the man of the hour for the Bearcats as the sophomore right-hander fashioned one of the best outings of his short stay at Cincinnati. Hill allowed Butler (14-25) only a pair of runs on five hits in a career-best six innings, while striking out eight and walking none. Most importantly though, he kept the Bulldogs off balance until the Bearcats finally broke through against Butler's pitching. Kevin Johnson and Robb Thompson picked up where Hill left off, allowing just one unearned run between them in the final three innings.
Josh Harrison had a big game at the plate for UC, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a pair of RBI and his second triple in the last four games. Neall French, Cameron Satterwhite and Brian Szarmach all contributed two RBI, while iron man catcher Ryan Baker tallied three hits.
Cincinnati got rolling early as French's first inning RBI single scored Tony Campana for a 1-0 Bearcat advantage. In the fourth, Satterwhite led off with a double and scored two batters later on a two-bagger to left by Baker. The UC lead reached four one frame later when Michael Earley scurried home on a wild pitch and Satterwhite recorded a sacrifice fly to plate Harrison.
On the mound, Hill breezed through the first five innings, allowing only a pair of singles and striking out seven. He found trouble for the first time in the sixth as a pair of sharply hit singles brought up heavy hitter Joe Dempsey. The Bulldog catcher got his team on the board, ripping a Hill offering off the base of the centerfield wall for a two-run double that trimmed Cincinnati's lead to 4-2.
It didn't take long for the Bearcats to essentially put the game away as 10 batters came to the plate in a five-run sixth inning. With two outs and a man on, three straight walks by Matt Byzet forced in two runs, paving the way for Evan DePotter to take the former's spot on the mound. He didn't fair much better as Szarmach laced a two-run single up the middle and Adam Yeager following with an RBI knock to create a 9-2 Bearcat edge.
Cincinnati poured on three more in the bottom of the seventh with Harrison at the center. With just one out and two men on, Harrison drove a two-run triple to deep right center and then scored his third run of the evening on a wild pitch. Butler rounded out the game's scoring on an eighth inning RBI ground out by Joe Pauley.
Butler's offense was paced by two hits from Colin Ziegel and a pair of RBI from Dempsey. Bryan Bokowy (3-5) took the loss after allowing four runs and seven hits in five innings of work.
Cincinnati will now square off with Villanova in a three-game set this weekend at Marge Schott Stadium. The weekend schedule shows a 6:30 p.m. first pitch on Friday, a 4 p.m. start on Saturday and a 1 p.m. conclusion to the series on Sunday.