TicketsMarch 10, 2012
CINCINNATI - Joey Bielek went 4 for 5 with four RBIs, Braden Kline drove in five runs and Ronald Cotton hit a grand-slam homer as the University of Cincinnati baseball team beat Chicago State University 20-4 in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Marge Schott Stadium.
Cincinnati (7-6) produced 15 hits in 40 at-bats, including home runs from Cotton, Kline and senior first baseman Nic Spence.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Matt Ring earned his first win of the season after scattering nine hits, allowing four runs and striking out five Cougars in six innings.
Cincinnati twice exploded for six runs in the fourth and eighth innings to put the game out of reach for the Cougars (0-10).
The Bearcats put six runs on the board, all with two outs, in the bottom of the fourth to take an 11-3 lead. With runners on second and third, Bielek singled to center field for two UC runs. Two batters later, Spence hit an RBI single to left-center field. The next batter, Kline hit a deep fly ball to right-center field that Cougars center fielder William Hill tried to chase down, but could not come up with the diving catch, allowing Kline to round the bases for a three-run, inside-the-park roundtripper.
UC's second six-run inning occurred in the eighth inning. Senior infielder Sam Vandenduevel hit an RBI double to left field. With the bases loaded two batters later, junior center fielder Jake Proctor reached on a fielder's choice for an RBI as sophomore second baseman Ryan Quinn scored from third on play at the plate. In the ensuing at-bat, Cotton crushed a longball over the left-center field wall with the bases loaded for his first-career home run.
With the Cougars leading 3-1 heading into bottom of the third inning, Cincinnati sent four players across the plate to take a 5-1 advantage. After Proctor walked and sophomore RF Justin Glass singled, Bielek singled through the left side to score Proctor. Glass scored on a sacrifice fly by senior DH Jake Saylor. After Spence was hit by a pitch and stole second, senior catcher Braden Kline doubled to left center for two RBIs.
The Cougars added their fourth run of the ballgame in the top of the fifth inning when CSU left fielder Eric O'Brien hit a two-out RBI single to left field, making the score 13-4 UC.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, redshirt freshman outfielder Ethan McAlpine pinch hit for freshman outfielder Taylor Schmidt and clubbed a one-out triple to left-center for his first career base hit. Two batters later, Glass drove in McAlpine with an RBI single to center field to put the Bearcats ahead by 10 runs, 14-4.
Cincinnati and Chicago State will conclude the four-game series 1 p.m. Sunday at Marge Schott Stadium, which can be seen live at GoBEARCATS.com/allaccess.