TicketsApril 15, 2008
CINCINNATI--No. 17-rated University of Kentucky used a 2-for-3 night, that included four RBIs from Collin Cowgill to top the University of Cincinnati 9-4 in front of 1,094 fans at Marge Schott Stadium. The crowd was the fourth-largest to witness UC play in the facility.
In a rivalry in which the Cincinnati had taken six of the last 10 matchups coming into the contest, Kentucky used 10 hits, including multiple-hit performances from Cowgill, Keenan Wiley, Brian Spear and Tyler Howe. Cincinnati posted nine hits, with Josh Harrison going 3-for-5 at the plate and six other UC batters collected hits in the contest. The No. 2 hitter in the Cincinnati batting order, Jamel Scott scored two runs and finished 1-for-4 at the plate.
Kentucky (26-8) sophomore Clint Tilford started the night and went four innings, allowing four hits, and two runs. Aaron Lovett (2-1) relieved him and picked up his second win of the season, allowing three hits and one run, striking out one and walking two. Brock Baber closed out the game, working the final two frames, allowing one unearned run and two hits.
Cincinnati (19-13) rookie righthander Nick Johnson (2-2) took the loss, allowing six hits and six runs in three and two-thirds innings. Johnson never was able to get comfortable on the mound, allowing runners to score in each of the first four UK at-bats. Adam Calez gave three and two-thirds innings of relief work, allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out two. Evan Sanford entered in the eighth inning and tossed two-thirds of an inning. Matt Heber closed out the contest with a scoreless ninth.
Wiley led off the game with a hard grounder into the hole, a tough play for UC shortstop, Chris Peters, whose throw was in the dirt, allowing Wiley to reach on an error. Following a sacrifice butn, Sawyer Carroll knocked a full-count RBI single up the middle.
The Bearcats answered with a run on back-to-back extra-base hits with two outs. After Tilford got the first two hitters, Harrison ripped a line drive into the left-centerfield gap that skipped past the center fielder and went to the wall, allowing Harrison to slide into third with a triple. Cameron Satterwhite followed with a double into the right-center field alley, scoring Harrison. Kevin Johnson attempted to score Satterwhite with a single into left field but was gunned down at the plate to keep the game deadlocked at 1.
Kentucky plated two runs in the second inning to take a 3-1 lead. Ryan Wilkes led off with a walk and another sacrifice bunt moved Wilkes to second base. A single by Howe scored Wilkes. After a walk and a hit by pitch, Cowgill's sacrifice fly, plated Howe.
Bryan Rose led off the UK third by accepting a hit-by-pitch, and moving into scoring position after Brian Spear doubled. A ground out scored Rose to make it a 4-1 game.
UC scored an unearned run in the third after a leadoff walk to Jamel Scott and a free pass to Cameron Satterwhite put runners on first and second. A fielding error on Mike Spina's groundball allowed Scott to score from second and narrow the margin to 4-2.
UK scored twice more, taking advantage of two runs on three hits and a UC error in the fourth frame. Chris Bisson led off by hitting into a fielding error, moving to second after Wiley's bunt single. Cowgill ripped a single through the left side to score Bisson. Scott fired a strike to Spina at third base that beat the runner, Wiley, who was attempting to move to third on the Cowgill single. Cowgill moved into scoring position on the play and went on to third on a wild pitch. Rose scored Cowgill with a a sacrifice fly to give UK a 6-2 edge.
The Bearcats cut into the lead in the bottom of the seventh, getting one run across on two hits and a hit batter. With Lovett on the mound, Scott and Harrison knocked consecutive hits and Satterwhite was hit by pitch to load the bases. Lovett induced the bases-loaded double play, with one run coming home to cut the lead in half, at 6-3.
The Wildcats answered the UC run in the top of the eighth, as Howe singled to lead off, and moved to second on a sacrifice. Wiley scored a pinch runner with his second single of the night. Cowgill launched a two-run homer to left field fence to make it 9-3.
The Bearcats got a run in the ninth, getting a leadoff triple from Tony Campana. He came home on Harrison's groundout to first to set the final count at 9-4.
Cincinnati must rebound quickly, as they head to Indianapolis to face Butler tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. First pitch from Bulldog Park is scheduled for 3 p.m.
--GoBEARCATS.com--