TicketsApril 27, 2007
CINCINNATI, Ohio---When the Cincinnati Bearcats put it all together; they have the potential to be a very dangerous team. They did just that on Friday night against Villanova, drubbing the Wildcats 13-4 in the series opener between the squads at chilly Marge Schott Stadium.
The offense did its part, banging out a season-best 17 hits; the pitching came from Dan Osterbrock's second straight complete game and the defense was strong as well, committing only two errors. All those pieces put together equaled an important win for the Bearcats who improve to 23-18 overall and 8-7 in BIG EAST play. The win is also UC's sixth in its last nine league games.
The offensive spark came from an unlikely source as sophomore Dustin Alvey, making just his third start of the year at DH, recorded three hits, including his first career home run. Tony Campana added a season-high four hits, while Josh Harrison had three, along with three runs scored.
Osterbrock was strong again, winning his fifth straight start to improve to 8-1 and grab a share of the BIG EAST lead for wins. Despite allowing a season-high 10 hits, Osterbrock put a career-high in the strikeout column with 11, including four in the final two innings.
The game was tight for the first seven and a half innings as the Bearcats clutched a 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth. That all changed as the Bearcats exploded for six runs to turn the game into a runaway. A total of 10 hitters came to plate with four tallying RBI singles in the frame. Villanova (20-19, 5-11 BIG EAST), which committed seven errors on the night; hurt its own cause with a pair of miscues in the frame to aide the Bearcat attack.
Cincinnati wasted no time jumping on Villanova starter Mike Loree (5-2), going up 1-0 in the first, with a run scoring on the first of Derek Shunk's three errors of the night. UC scored three more times in the third, with Neall French delivering the big blow with a two-run single that ricocheted off the third base bag and into left field.
The teams traded runs in the fourth with a Gus Guida RBI fielder's choice cutting the UC lead to 4-1. The bottom of the frame produced back-to-back doubles by Adam Yeager and Harrison that reestablished the Bearcats' four-run edge. UC added run number six in the fifth when Alvey went deep with one out.
A two-out error by Harrison in the sixth nearly opened the door for a big inning for the Wildcats, if not for heads up play by Osterbrock and battery mate Ryan Baker. After Harrison's miscue, Villanova strung together consecutive singles to load the bases, setting up James Dolbier's two-run double to left. The heady play came next as, when an Osterbrock offering squirted past Baker, a quick thinking Osterbrock covered the plate in time to catch Guida trying to score for the third out.
Osterbrock worked out of his last serious jam in the seven as Villanova loaded the bases with one out, but could score just once. With the sacks packed, Osterbrock got Dan Terpak on a sacrifice fly, and then retired Jim Gillin to squelch the Wildcats' threat. UC scored once in the bottom of the inning on a clutch, two-out RBI double by Baker.
The Villanova offense finished with 10 hits, including two each by Ryan Arcadia and Terpak. Osterbrock was able to corral Shunk, the BIG EAST's second-ranked hitter to just one hit in four plate appearances. Loree was dealt the loss after yielding seven runs and 12 hits in 6.2 innings of work.
UC will search for win number two of the series tomorrow at 4 p.m. Steve Blevins gets the ball for the Bearcats, taking on Villanova's Ryan Wendler.