TicketsApril 29, 2007
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Cincinnati couldn't overcome a five-run first inning deficit as Villanova snared the rubber game between the teams by a 7-2 score on Sunday afternoon at Marge Schott Stadium. The game was played before a season-best crowd of 714, including City of Norwood Mayor Thomas Williams who threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.
The UC faithful didn't have much to cheer for as the Bearcats (23-20, 8-9 BIG EAST) could never recover from the early hole. Adam Yeager, playing in front of a crowd of approximately 30 that made the trip up from his hometown of Huntington, W.Va. drove in both of the Bearcat runs, including one on his first home run of the season.
One day after a rough relief outing, Villanova (22-19, 7-11 BIG EAST) starter Bill Hoffman bounced back with a complete game effort on the mound. Hoffman (4-4) forced the Bearcats into leaving runners on base in seven of the nine innings, while striking out seven.
The day couldn't have gotten off to a tougher start for UC hurler John Baird as he hit the first three batters of the game. After retiring the next two, Baird walked Jim Gillin to force one run home, then yielded a bases clearing triple to Joe Rosati that broke the game open for the Wildcats. Villanova went up 6-0 on a second inning RBI single by Dan Terpak.
UC finally got on the board in the third as Yeager hit a two-out bomb over the wall in right field. The Bearcats wouldn't make another serious threat until the seventh when they loaded the bases with just one out. It was then that Yeager lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 7-2 game, but Hoffman bounced back to retire Josh Harrison for the final out of the inning.
Villanova scored its final run of the day in the top of the fifth on a Ryan Arcadia RBI single that proved to be the last hitter Baird would face. Kevin Johnson took over from there and turned in a career-best performance, retiring nine straight batters, including three on strikeouts.
The top three hitters in UC's line-up, Tony Campana, Yeager and Harrison each had two hits apiece to lead the Bearcats. Gus Guida was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, finishing with two.
The Bearcats will wrap up their 11-game homestand on Wednesday, hosting Morehead State in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. UC is back in BIG EAST action beginning next Saturday at Rutgers for a noon doubleheader.