TicketsApril 14, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Despite leading 5-1 through 5 ½ innings, the University of Cincinnati baseball team dropped a 6-5 decision to University of Notre Dame in walk-off fashion Saturday afternoon at Frank Eck Stadium.
With UC (11-23, 1-10 BIG EAST) clinging to a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, the first two UND batters reached to put runners on first and second with no outs. Junior right-hander Zach Isler (Union, Ky./Covington Catholic) struck out Irish DH Ryan Bull, who failed to bunt on three straight pitches.
The next batter, UND (19-15, 6-5 BIG EAST) first baseman Eric Jagielo, hit an RBI single through the left side that knotted the score 5-5. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Irish center fielder Alex Robinson singled through the right side for an RBI that ended the ballgame.
Senior designated hitter T.J. Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle) drove in a career-high-tying three runs, freshman third baseman Joey Bielek (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chapparal) went 4 for 5 and redshirt frosh outfielder Ethan McAlpine (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) drove in two runs with his first career home run.
UC freshman left-hander Zach Morris (Edgewater, Md./DeMatha Catholic), who saw his unearned run streak end at 18 2-3 innings when UND scored in the first, allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1-3 innings pitched.
The Fighting Irish closed the gap to one at 5-4 in the seventh inning when UND shortstop Phil Mosey led off the frame by clubbing a solo homer to left field.
Morris was relieved by Isler with bases loaded and one out in the sixth inning. Isler retired the first two batters he faced to get the Bearcats out of the jam.
McAlpine golfed a 1-2 pitch over the left-center-field fence for his first-career home run; a two-run bomb that put Cincinnati ahead 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning.
UC extended its lead to 3-1 in the fifth frame. Sophomore right fielder Justin Glass (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Bielek hit back-to-back one-out singles. Jones drove Glass home from third base with a sacrifice fly to center field - the third RBI of the ballgame for Jones.
After Notre Dame knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first, the Bearcats recaptured the lead in the top of the third when Jones executed a suicide-squeeze bunt that allowed junior center fielder Jake Proctor (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) to score.
Cincinnati produced the first run of the ballgame in the top of the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Bielek singled with two outs and advanced to second on a wild pitch, setting up an RBI single from Jones.
UC and Notre Dame will conclude the three-game conference series 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Frank Eck Stadium. The game will be streamed live on UND.com/allaccess with live stats via GameTracker at GoBEARCATS.com.