TicketsMay 9, 2012
OXFORD, Ohio — The University of Cincinnati baseball team lost to Miami (Ohio) University 7-5 Wednesday evening at Hayden Park's McKie Field.
Cincinnati trailed by five runs through five innings, closed the gap to 6-5 after the eighth inning, but was unable to complete comeback. The opportunities were there, as the Bearcats stranded 12 base runners.
The UC offense recorded 10 hits, led by sophomore outfielder Justin Glass' (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) 3-for-3, one-RBI performance. Freshman third baseman Joey Bielek (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chapparal) and senior outfielder T.J. Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle) each went 2 for 5, with Bielek adding two RBIs.
Trailing by five, Cincinnati produced two runs in the top of the sixth inning to close the gap to 6-3. Jones hit a leadoff double to right field, junior shortstop J.P. Jackson (Bowling Green, Ky./Bowling Green/Western Kentucky) singled to right and senior first baseman Nic Spence (Victoria, Australia/St. Joseph's/Central Arizona CC) walked to load the bases with no outs. Redshirt freshman outfielder Ethan McAlpine (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) was hit by a pitch on a 2-1 count, scoring Jones. Two batters later, Bielek's fielder's choice groundout to second base allowed Jackson to reach the dish.
UC scored twice in the eighth inning to close the margin to one run, at 6-5. McAlpine doubled off the left-field wall to lead off the frame. Senior infielder Sam Vandenheuvel (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton/Mesa CC) pinched hit for freshman catcher Aaron Oesch (Portsmouth, Ohio/Minford), who made his first collegiate start, and reached base on a wild-pitch strike three. Bielek's single to left field drove home McAlpine.
After a pitching change, another wild pitch moved runners to second and third with no outs before sophomore second baseman Ryan Quinn (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) singled down the right-field line to score Vandenheuvel. Glass loaded the bases after walking for the second time. Senior catcher Jake Saylor (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton/Paradise Valley CC) pinched hit and struck out for out No. 1 before Jones hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Miami tacked on a seventh run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Redhawks left fielder Matt Honchel hit a two-out RBI bloop single to shallow left field.
Senior left-handed pitcher Brad Mergen (Albany, Minn./Albany/Indian Hill CC) started the ballgame for the Bearcats and went 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Freshman right-hander Art Warren (Stryker, Ohio/Napoleon) threw 2/3 of an inning and allowed two runs on four hits. Senior lefty Cory Hough (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) gave the UC bullpen a lift after allowing just one run in 3 2/3 innings. Junior RHP Andrew Strenge (Yardley, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) pitched 1/3 of an inning and did not allow a run.
MU added its sixth run in the bottom of the fifth inning and went ahead 6-1. Honchel and shortstop Scott Slappey led off the frame with consecutive singles before Warren was relieved by Hough, whose wild pitch allowed Honchel to cross the plate.
The Redhawks plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 5-1. Mergen walked the bases loaded before being relieved by Warren, who allowed a three-run double to second baseman Ryan Brenner and an RBI single to catcher Nate Bowles.
The Bearcats got the scoring started in the top of the first inning. Bielek led off the game with a triple to right-center field. Two batters later, Glass singled through the right side of the infield, allowing Bielek to score and giving UC an early 1-0 lead.
Miami tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning. Honchel led off with a walk and scored two batters later on center fielder Ryan Curl's RBI single.
Cincinnati will resume BIG EAST Conference play when it travels to Plymouth Meeting, Pa. to play the Villanova University Wildcats in a three-game series beginning 3:45 p.m. Friday. All three games of the series can be heard live on Villanova.com/allaccess with a paid subscription.