April 2, 2004

Final Stats

AMELIA, Ohio - Junior second baseman Joe Holland went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI, and the Green Wave hammered four home runs, as the Tulane University baseball team defeated Conference USA foe Cincinnati , 10-5, Friday evening at Midland Field.

While the bats were going deep, the combination of starter Billy Mohl and rookie Daniel Latham kept Cincinnati at bay as the Green Wave run their winning streak to eight while improving to 21-7 overall and 6-1 in C-USA play. Mohl (5-1) got the win after giving up five runs (three earned) on nine hits while striking out six and walking two in 6.0 solid innings, and Latham picked up his third save of the season after striking out three and scattering two singles in three scoreless innings of relief.

The game was deadlocked at 3-all after six, and it looked like Tulane might strand a leadoff double by junior first baseman Wes Swackhamer at second base as Cincinnati starter Chase Lampl retired the next two hitters in order and got ahead of sophomore centefielder Nathan Soutard with a 1-2 count. Southard hit a towering shot down the left field line that was ruled foul, but he kept the next offering inside the left field foul pole to give the Green Wave a 5-3 advantage.

Holland followed with a single, and junior left fielder Matt Barket hit the second home run of the inning to make it a 7-3 ballgame. The Bearcats cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the home half of the frame, but Tulane got the two runs back in the top of the eighth on an RBI-groundout by junior shortstop Tommy Manzella and a run-scoring single off the bat of pinch-hitter Scott Madden.

Holland put the exclamation point on the win with a leadoff bomb to left center to open the ninth, and Latham retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to seal the deal.

Cincinnati got on the board first in the second when third baseman John DeLuca singled, went to third on a base hit by Drew Saylor and scored on an RBI-knock by designated hitter Elliot Salcedo. Tulane tied the score in the top of the third on an RBI-double by Holland to plate designated hitter Philip Stringer all the way from first, and Holland put the Green Wave ahead when he scored on a groundout by sophomore right fielder Brian Bogusevic.

The Bearcats would retake the lead in the bottom of the frame with a pair of unearned runs, but junior catcher Greg Dini tied the ballgame with a one-out solo home run in the fourth to set up Tulane's late-inning longball display.

Tulane and Cincinnati return to action on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. for game two of the series, and the two teams close out the weekend on Sunday with first pitch slated for noon.