Tickets
PDF Box Score
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The University of Cincinnati baseball team fell 16-7 in the final game of a three-game series against No. 14 Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi, on Sunday afternoon.
Freshman Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant) finished the game 3-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, including his second homerun in as many games. Junior Ian Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) also recorded a pair of hits in the ballgame for Cincinnati.
// Notables
- The Bearcats drop to 1-3 with the loss while Mississippi State improves to 4-0 on the season.
- Freshman starting pitcher A.J. Olasz (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin Area) recorded the loss and is 0-1 on the year while MSU's Daniel Brown gets the win and moves to 1-0.
- Head coach Ty Neal penciled six freshmen into the starting lineup today and has started at least four freshman in each game this season. Freshmen Kyle Mottice (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Jackson), Noda and Manny Rodriguez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Calvert Hall) have started all four games for UC.
- Olasz and Tanner Schimmoeller (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) made their collegiate debuts from the mound.
- Noda hit his second homerun of the season off the right field foul pole in the top of the first inning to give UC a 1-0 lead. The Bearcats have hit at least one homerun in each of the first four games after failing to hit a long ball until the ninth game of 2014. In addition, Cincinnati did not give up a homerun during the opening weekend.
- Noda hit three hits in a game for the first time in his career.
- Freshman J.J. Carr (Coto de Caza, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) recorded his first career hit.
- In the first four games of 2015, only Mottice (second base) and junior Devin Wenzel (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood Area) (left field) have started in the same position for each game.
- Sophomore Jake Richmond (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) is the only player on the team to have recorded a hit in all four games this season.
- The 16-7 final score marked the first time that the Bearcats have given up at least 15 runs in back-to-back games since losing 15-13 and 32-14 against No. 14 East Carolina on April 16 and 17, 2004.
// Key Innings
Top of the First
For the second consecutive game, Noda blasted a first-inning homerun to put his team ahead. The solo shot was a 3-1 count that went off the right field foul pole.
Bottom of the First
The Bulldogs erased the UC lead, scoring twice in the inning. Three straight singles scored the first run while a walk and a fielder's choice scored the second. Things could have been worse for Cincinnati, but a smart strike `em out, throw `em out double play from freshman catcher Joey Thomas (Mason, Ohio/Mason) to Rodriguez ended the frame with a 2-1 score.
Bottom of the Third
Mississippi State displayed their dominance in the third inning, putting up an 8-spot on the scoreboard. The Bulldogs recorded five hits and were walked four times with a hit by pitch to go through 12 batters in the inning.
Bottom of the Fourth
The Bearcats gave up four more runs in the inning, with a walk and two hit by pitches, to trail 14-1 heading into the fifth.
Top of the Fifth
Cincinnati got six runs back in the fifth, sending all nine batters to the plate to get within 14-7 on the scoreboard. Carr notched his first career hit with a single that brought home Thomas for the first run and junior Ian Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) followed that with a groundout to score Rodriguez. A single by Noda, double by Richmond and single by sophomore R.J. Thompson (Mason, Ohio/Mason) brought home the remaining four runs to keep Cincinnati in the game.
// Up Next
Cincinnati heads to the west coast next weekend for a three-game series at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. The first game will be played at 9 p.m. ET, on Friday, Feb. 20, while the final two games will be played in doubleheader fashion beginning at 6 p.m. ET, on Saturday, Feb. 21.
// Follow the Bearcats
For all of the latest information on Cincinnati baseball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up to the minute updates, follow Cincinnati baseball (@UCincyBaseball) and Coach Neal (@Ty_Neal_UC) on twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Facebook.
// Ticket Information
Season tickets for all 23 home matches can be purchased for as little $10. For more information, visit GoBEARCATS.com/tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX.
-GoBEARCATS.com-