Published: May 17, 2008 02:01 am            

WVU in tourney despite losing pair

CINCINNATI — Despite dropping a doubleheader to Cincinnati on Friday at Marge Schott Stadium, West Virginia University clinched a spot in next week’s Big East baseball tournament when Rutgers lost twice at Louisville.

The Bearcats won the first game in a breeze, 14-5, then cracked a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning and rolled to a 9-1 decision in the nightcap. The Mountaineers (34-18, 13-13) will try to salvage Saturday’s regular-season finale at 1 p.m.

In making its record 34-19, including 18-8 in the conference, Cincinnati outhit West Virginia by 33-16 and finished with a 23-6 edge in runs for the twin bill.

The Bearcats collected 20 hits in the opener, including 13 off WVU starter Josh Whitlock, who gave up 12 earned runs in just three and two-thirds innings.

Camero Satterwhite belted two home runs and had six RBIs in that game and also drove in two runs in the second contest.

Mike Spina hit home runs in both games for UC, including a conference-leading 17th in the nightcap, and finished the night with four hits.

Dan Osterbrock was credited with the first-game victory, even though not quite pitching the mandatory five innings. He left after four and two-thirds innings because of his pitch count.

Jarryd Summers gave up six earned runs on seven hits in relief of WVU starter Billy Gross and took the loss in the second game.

Catcher Tobias Streich went 2-for-3 in the first game for WVU with a two-run homer and a double. Grant Buckner and Tyler Kuhn also had a pair of hits each. Infielder Jedd Gyorko had three of the four hits in the second game.

The eight-team Big East tournament starts next Tuesday in Clearwater, Fla.

        

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