University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Cincinnati
Vols Hold Off Cincinnati For 8-5 Win
March 20, 2002 | Baseball
March 20, 2002
Knoxville, Tenn. -- Matt Sternberg went 3-for-3 with four runs scored, two doubles and a grand slam as the Tennessee Volunteers withstood a furious Cincinnati rally and defeated the Bearcats, 8-5, to sweep the two-game set at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Sternberg doubled and scored in his first two at-bats before connecting on his second home run of the season as part of a four-run fifth inning that broke the game open as Tennessee (12-13) grabbed a 7-0 lead.
He plated his fourth run of the night on a bases loaded ground out in the seventh for an 8-4 Tennessee lead.
Brian St. Jean (1-1) earned the victory in his first career start. He pitched five shutout innings, giving up four hits while striking out three and walking one.
Hal Bibee went 3-for-4 with two doubles and Walter Sevilla collected a hit in the third as they both extended their hitting streaks to 11 games.
Jeffery Terrell worked the final 2 2/3 for his third save.
Kenny Fields (0-2) took the loss for Cincinnati (10-9-1), allowing three runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Tennessee struck for a run in the second as Jordan Czarniecki drove home Sternberg and added two more in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Sternberg and Bibee, followed by an RBI single from Dennis Gomez that lifted the Vols to a 3-0 lead.
The Bearcats got on the board in the sixth on a wild pitch and a two-run bases loaded single by Jameson Parker. They tacked on one more in the seventh on Aaron Moll's single to cut the lead to 7-4.
Aaron Brown scored on Moll's infield single in the eighth as Cincinnati pulled to within 8-5.
Tennessee plays host to the No. 19 Auburn Tigers (18-5) this weekend, Mar. 22-24. Game times are 7 p.m., 4 p.m. and 2 p.m. ET.
