Feb. 18, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Six different Bearcats had multi-hit games and the University of Cincinnati baseball team started its 2011 season with an 11-5 come-from-behind win over Ohio State at Al Lang Stadium on the first day of the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge.
Freshman OF/DH Justin Glass (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) paced UC with four hits and added two runs and an RBI. He was followed by senior shortstop Chris Peters (Tipp City, Ohio/Tipp City), junior catcher Jake Saylor (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) and sophomore outfielder Jake Proctor (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills), who each had three hits.
Ohio State scored five runs on 11 hits through the first three innings to take an early lead, but the Bearcats settled down and mounted a comeback, starting in the bottom of the fourth.
With two outs and bases loaded in the fourth, freshman third baseman Matt Williams (Mason, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian) reached first after an Ohio State error, allowing Proctor and Saylor to score the Bearcats' first runs of the season. Junior outfielder Jamell Cervantez (Topeka, Kan./Topeka West) then drove in UC's third run on a single to left field.
In the fifth inning, Glass smacked a double to right center and was drove in by Saylor's single to left. Proctor then doubled down the left field line to score Saylor and tie the game at 5 runs.
The Bearcats took their first lead of the game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth after Peters doubled down the left field line to score Cervantez and give UC a 6-5 advantage.
After starting RHP Dan Jensen (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) fought through early command struggles, he blanked OSU in the fourth and fifth innings before junior LHP Cory Hough (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) pitched four scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win.
Cincinnati tacked on five insurance runs in the eighth inning to give Hough some breathing room and set up his first win of the season.
The Bearcats play game two of the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19, vs. Illinois. Sophomore RHP Andrew Strenge (Yardley, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep), a 2010 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, will take the mound for UC.