TicketsMay 18, 2012
CINCINNATI — Senior first baseman Nic Spence (Victoria, Australia/St. Josephs/Central Arizona CC) hit 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs to lead the University of Cincinnati baseball team to an 8-7 win over Georgetown University Friday evening at Marge Schott Stadium.
Spence's three hits, which included his first-career triple, tied his single-game season high.
Following Spence in the offensive stats were senior catcher Braden Kline (Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw Community), who went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run score, and sophomore outfielder Justin Glass (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll), who also went 2 for 4 and scored once. Senior outfielder T.J. Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle) added a 2-for-5 day at the plate with one RBI and one run scored.
UC redshirt sophomore right-hander Christian McElroy (Middletown, Ohio/Monroe/Sinclair CC) tossed 5 2-3 innings of relief, allowing five runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out three to record his fourth win of the season.
Bearcats freshman lefty Zach Morris (Edgewater, Md./DeMatha Catholic) started the game for UC, but was ran after allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and three punchouts in 3 1-3 innings.
With the score tied at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth inning, UC plated its eighth run of the ballgame. McAlpine led off with a single to left field. Junior shortstop J.P. Jackson (Bowling Green, Ky./Bowling Green/Western Kentucky) struck out bunting before a double by Spence put runners on second and third with one out. Jones hit an RBI single to left field that scored redshirt freshman outfielder Ethan McAlpine (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller).
With the tying run on third base and two out in the ninth, McElroy closed the door on the Hoyas when he struck out cleanup hitter Rand Ravnaas, who finished the game 0 for 6.
The victory came as a relief for UC as the Bearcats claimed a five-run lead at 7-2 through five innings before Georgetown scored five runs on five hits in the top of the sixth to tie the game 7-7.
It was the second lead the Hoyas overcame after UC led 2-0 through the first inning when Kline hit an RBI single through the left side to drive in Glass, who started a two-out rally with a double to left-center field. Sophomore outfielder Matt Williams (Mason, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian) hit an infield single to shortstop Mike Garza, who sailed an errant throw that allowed Kline to score from third base.
Georgetown knotted the score 2-2 in the top of the third inning when Hoyas first baseman Danny Poplawski hit a two-out, bases-loaded single up the middle that drove in two runs.
Cincinnati quickly responded by plating two runners in the bottom of the third to regain the lead. Spence, Jones and Glass each singled to give UC bases loaded and one out. Kline's fielder's choice groundball to shortstop scored Spence before GU second baseman Andy Lentz' throwing error while trying to turn a double play allowed Jones to score from second.
The Bearcats pushed their lead to five after scoring three runs in the fourth. Sophomore second baseman Ryan Quinn (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) led off with a single to left field and advanced to second on McAlpine's sacrifice bunt. Jackson walked, before Spence hit a two-run triple down the right-field line.
UC will go for the three-game sweep against Georgetown in the season finale 1 p.m. Saturday at Marge Schott Stadium, which can be viewed live at GoBEARCATS.com. Ten Bearcats seniors will be honored prior to first pitch as part of Senior Day festivities.