Here is your Big East Recap for March 27th.
Cincinnati 6 Rutgers 3
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team used a six-run seventh inning and a solid pitching performance from Brian Garman to earn a 6-3 win over Rutgers in BIG EAST Conference action, Friday at Bainton Field.
Garman went seven innings, scattering one run on eight hits while stranding seven Scarlet Knights runners. He struck out four and walked one. He moved his record to 3-2 on the season. The Bearcats moved to 13-8 on the season, and 2-2 in BIG EAST play. Rutgers fell to 9-13 (0-4 BIG EAST).
Jake Geglein picked up his fourth save of the season, the 15th of his career, tying him for first-place all-time in the UC record book with Curtus Moak (1998-2001).
Cincinnati Recap
Rutgers Recap
Seton Hall 5 Louisville 3
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Junior starter Sean Black (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) (3-2) tossed a complete game striking out eight batters and allowed only three runs, while sophomore Frank Esposito (Staten Island, N.Y.) ripped a three-run triple in bottom of the sixth inning leading the Seton Hall baseball team to a, 5-3, victory over Louisville Friday evening at Owen T. Carroll Field.
The Pirates (12-7, 3-1) took a quick, 1-0, lead in the home half of the first inning when senior Matt Smedberg (Rockaway, N.J.) hit an RBI single scoring junior Bobby Abreu (Piscataway, N.J.). Abreu led off with a walk and moved to second base on a successful sacrifice bunt by sophomore A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.).
Seton Hall Recap
Louisville Recap
Notre Dame 5 Pittsburgh 4
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Notre Dame sophomore Cole Johnson allowed just two earned runs in his first career complete game victory to lead the Irish past Pittsburgh, 5-4, in BIG EAST baseball action from Trees Field Friday afternoon. Notre Dame improved to 15-8 overall and 2-2 in the conference, while the Panthers dropped to 13-7 and 2-2.
As good as Johnson was on the day, it took a spectacular defensive play from sophomore Golden Tate (Hendersonville, Tenn.) to secure the complete game. Pittsburgh entered the bottom of the ninth trailing, 5-4, and was down to its final out when Joe Leonard stepped to the plate. The third baseman appeared as if he might have just hit a game tying solo home run or double off the short leftfield wall (290-feet), but Tate lept and snagged the fly ball up against the wall to end the game.
Notre Dame Recap
Pittsburgh Recap
UConn 2 South Florida 0
STORRS, Conn. – A second inning run by junior Peter Fatse (Hampden, Mass.) put the University of Connecticut baseball team ahead of South Florida and helped them to earn their first BIG EAST victory of the season at J.O. Christian Field on Friday afternoon.
With the win, the Huskies (10-10, 1-3 BIG EAST) improved to .500 on the season. They handed South Florida their first BIG EAST loss of the year as the Bulls drop to 14-9, 3-1 BIG EAST.
The Huskies were the first and only team to get on the board when Fatse scored in the second inning. The junior leftfielder led off the inning with a walk. He took off for second to earn his ninth stolen base of the season and moved on to third after the throw from South Florida’s catcher Trey Manz flew into left-centerfield. Sophomore Pierre LePage (Wolcott, Conn.) knocked Fatse in on a sacrifice fly to shallow right field to give UConn the 1-0 lead.
UConn Recap
South Florida Recap
St. John’s 7 Georgetown 2
BETHESDA, Md. – Redshirt senior Nick Luisi allowed just two runs in 7.1 innings as the St. John’s baseball team defeated Georgetown, 7-2, in BIG EAST action. Joe Panik was 4-for-4 with two RBI and Danny Benedetti also added two RBI to lead St. John’s (13-7, 4-0). Brian Kemp had three hits, while Tim Morris and Carlos Del Rosario also had two hits apiece. Erick Fernandez had a two-run home run to pace Georgetown (8-15, 1-3).
After a scoreless top of the first inning, the Hoyas took an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Tom Elliot singled through the right side before Erick Fernandez homered to right center field and Georgetown led 2-0.
With one out in the top of the second Greg Hopkins walked before moving to second on a wild pitch and advancing to third on a balk by starter Will Harris. Benedetti then grounded a come-backer up the middle that caromed off of Harris allowing Hopkins to score from third and put St. John’s on the board.
St. John’s Recap
Georgetown Recap
Villanova 3 West Virginia 1
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – In the first conference home game of the season, junior Brian Streilein (Staten Island, N.Y.) took a shutout into the ninth inning against a team averaging more than 10 runs per game and Villanova (12-10, 1-3 Big East) held off West Virginia (16-6, 3-1 Big East) on Friday afternoon with a 3-1 victory at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.
Streilein (3-3, 6.55 ERA) allowed seven hits and one earned run in 8 1/3 innings, during which he walked three and struck out three. Despite allowing at least one base runner in every inning except the eighth, Streilein cruised into the ninth inning having retired nine of the 10 most recent batters to face him going into the top of the ninth. He left the game with runners at first and second with one out and got the win when sophomore Mike Francisco (Malvern, Pa.) nailed down his second save of the year.
Villanova Recap
West Virginia Recap
