TicketsMay 17, 2007
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Thursday proved to be a night of what might have been for Cincinnati as the Bearcats dropped a tight 6-4 extra inning contest to arch-rival Louisville at Marge Schott Stadium. The 12-inning setback leaves the Bearcats percentage points out of the eighth and final spot in the fight for a berth in next week's conference championship with just two games to play.
The highlight of the night for Cincinnati (27-27, 9-15 BIG EAST) was a strong starting pitching performance from sophomore Michael Hill. For 6.2 innings, Hill limited one of the BIG EAST's best offenses to just two runs and five hits, while striking out six. After Hill's departure however, Louisville (37-17, 18-7 BIG EAST) scored single runs in the final three innings of regulation to force bonus baseball.
A big key in the Cardinals' winning equation was the performance of relief ace Trystan Magnuson. For the final four innings, Magnuson held the Bearcats without a base runner, striking out four along the way to earn the victory. Louisville got the winning runs in the 12th on back-to-back RBI doubles by Jorge Castillo and Chris Dominguez against Brian Garman.
After Hill escaped a first inning, two-on, no out jam, the Bearcats broke through for the game's first run against Louisville number one starter Zack Pitts. After back-to-back singles opened the frame, Michael Obyc bunted both runners over and Kevin Johnson plated Kyle Rapp with a sac fly to right. UC poured on two more in the third, getting a bases loaded walk to Rapp and an Obyc RBI on a fielder's choice. With two out and the bases still loaded, Obyc chopped a grounder to U of L second baseman Logan Johnson who tried to go to second, but no one was covering the bag. Instead, Johnson's throw to first was late, allowing Obyc to reach and Adam Yeager to score.
Louisville got one of the runs back in the third on a Pete Rodriguez sac fly, but Hill froze Derrick Alfonso with a strikeout to end the inning. UC got the run back in the sixth as Dustin Alvey drove a single to right that scored Johnson.
The Cardinals finally chased Hill in the seventh, getting within 4-2 on an Alfonso run-scoring ground out. With men on the corners and two out, Adam Calez was summoned from the pen and he got Johnson to chase his first offering for a routine grounder to short.
The visitors pushed an unearned run across in the eighth, taking advantage of an Obyc error with a Castillo sacrifice fly. A lead off hit batsman in the ninth spelled doom for the Bearcats as an A.J. Upton wild pitch later allowed the tying run to score. With two men on, Evan Sanford put out the fire, getting Daniel Burton to fly out and striking out Isaiah Howes.
From there, the game became a pitcher's duel between Sanford and Magnuson with neither team generating any offense. The Cardinals staged a winning; two-out rally in the 12th as Howes was hit by a pitch to start things. Castillo then pulled a double into the right field corner that landed just fair to drive home the winning run. Dominguez gave the Cards some breathing room with a double into left.
Yeager, Rapp and Alvey led the Cincinnati offense with two hits each, with Yeager adding his 24th stolen base of the season. Castillo, Dominguez and Rodriguez all had a pair of knocks for the Cards, who also stole six bases.
Cincinnati will be out to even the series tomorrow with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. Dan Osterbrock will take the mound for the Bearcats, opposing Louisville's Justin Marks.