|
Feldman's Two-Run Homer Sparks Baseball Past Cincinnati 5-4
May 2, 2003 NEW ORLEANS, La. - Senior left fielder Aaron Feldman hit a two-run homer and Brian Bormaster lifted a sacrifice fly to the wall in right to help the Green Wave erase a 4-2 deficit as the Tulane University baseball team defeated Conference USA foe Cincinnati 5-4 Friday evening at Turchin Stadium. The Bearcats led 4-2 going into the bottom of the eighth, but Tulane took advantage of a tiring Cincinnati starter in Brian St. Jean as sophomore second baseman Tommy Manzella came back from a 1-2 count to draw a leadoff walk before Feldman's game-tying bomb. Freshman right fielder Brian Bogusevic followed with a double to right central to chase St. Jean from the game, rookie third baseman Tim Guidry moved Bogusevic to third with a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt, and Bormaster provided the winning run with a deep fly ball off reliever Brad Hunt to account for the final score. With the win, Tulane's 21st consecutive victory at Turchin Stadium, the Green Wave improve to 34-13 on the year and 15-7 in league play. Tulane still trails Southern Miss by three games for the C-USA lead as the Golden Eagles defeated East Carolina 6-3 Friday in Greenville, N.C., but gained a game on TCU - which now holds a one-game advantage on second place - as the Horned Frogs dropped a 3-0 decision to South Florida in Fort Worth. Cincinnati, meanwhile, falls to 13-32 overall and 5-17 in conference action.
Freshman southpaw J.R. Crowel gave the Green Wave a solid start, giving up four earned runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out seven in 7.1 innings, but fellow rookie Matt Goebel (5-4) got the win after retiring both batters he faced in the eighth. Junior preseason All-Conference USA reliever Joey Charron tossed a perfect ninth, including a strikeout, to earn his ninth save of the year.
Tulane got to St. Jean early in the ballgame as junior shortstop Tony Giarratano drew a one-out walk and sophomore designated hitter Wes Swackhamer - who went 3-for-4 in the ballgame - followed two batters later with a two-out home run to right field to give the home team a 2-0 lead. The lead would not last for long, however, as the Bearcats answered in the top of the second with a pair of two-out runs of their own as Brad Dorrmann singled and Jake Smith doubled with two away before nine-hole hitter Eric Eitel brought the pair home with a two-RBI single to tie the score. Following a pair of scoreless innings, Cincinnati took the lead in the fifth with another two-out rally as Crowel gave up a single to Eitel to open the stanza, retired the next two batters he faced in the frame before giving up a walk to Jon DeLuca. Clean-up hitter Aaron Moll belted a two-RBI triple off the wall in center in the next at to give the Bearcats a 4-2 lead. Tulane had its chances throughout the ballgame, putting at least one runner on in each frame before finally getting back on the scoreboard in the eighth courtesy of Feldman and Bormaster's heroics. St. Jean was tagged with the loss after allowing five earned runs on 10 hits while walking four and striking out two in 7.1 innings. Hunt gave up just one hit in the relief appearance, a single to senior centerfielder Jonny Kaplan, but got out of the eighth with a double-play ball to avoid further damage. Hunt, however, did give up the sacrifice bunt by Guidry and Bormaster's sacrifice fly. The difference in the game was the pitching of Crowel, Goebel and Charron, though, as the trio combined to retire the final 13 Cincinnati batters in order. Tulane and Cincinnati return to action on Saturday for the second contest of the three-game series at 2 p.m. before closing out the weekend on Sunday with first pitch slated for noon. |
 
|
