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RENO, Nev.- The University of Cincinnati baseball team took an early lead but ultimately fell 5-3 to the University of Nevada from Peccole Park in Reno Nevada.
Junior Ian Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) hit his sixth homerun of the season in the top of the first inning to help Cincinnati build a 3-1 lead, but the Wolf Pack hit back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the fourth inning for the go-ahead runs.
//NOTABLES
- With the loss, Cincinnati falls to 6-12 while Nevada improves to 17-4.
- Freshman reliever J.T. Perez (Orrville, Ohio/Orrville) (0-1) was handed the loss for Cincinnati while Nevada's Zach Wilkins (1-0) earned the victory and Adam Whitt picked up the save (10).
- Head coach Ty Neal penciled six freshmen into the starting lineup and has started at least four youngsters in each game this season. Freshmen Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant) and Manny Rodriguez Rodriguez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Calvert Hall) have started all 17 games for UC.
- With the homer, Happ has now recorded a hit in eight straight games and has reached safely in 16 straight.
- Freshman Connor Van Caugherty (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) recorded his first-career hit with a single up the middle in the second inning.
- Freshman starting pitcher David Orndorff (Pasadena, Calif./Pasadena Polytechnic) pitched a career-high 5.2 innings and matched a career best with a pair of strikeouts.
- Junior catcher Woody Wallace (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) singled in the fourth inning for his ninth hit in the last four games.
- Happ's homerun in the first inning was his sixth long ball of the year, surpassing his total from 2014 (five) and tying his number from 2013.
- Happ was walked twice in the game, once intentionally, to bring his total to 16 on the year.
- Noda hit a pair of doubles to set a new career-high for the freshman.
// KEY INNINGS
Top of the First
Cincinnati led off the game with three hits to take a 3-0 lead in the early going. Noda started the run with a double off the wall in right center field before Happ followed with his sixth homerun of the season. Junior Devin Wenzel (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood Area) doubled and took third on a Nevada error and freshman Chris Klenk (Portage, Ind./Portage) grounded out to the second baseman to score Wenzel for the third run of the inning.
Bottom of the Second
Nevada got a run back in the second after a UC throwing error put the leadoff runner on base. Two batters later, a single by Jordan Pearce brought home Kewby Meyer to get the Wolf Pack on the board.
Bottom of the Sixth
Back-to-back homeruns off of Perez by Nevada's Kewby Meyer and Bryce Greager gave the Wolf Pack a 5-3 lead after six innings played.
Top of the Seventh
Noda's second double of the day, followed by an intentional walk to Happ, put two runners on base for UC, but the Bearcats could not capitalize, going scoreless in the inning.
//UP NEXT
Cincinnati and Nevada will continue their four-game series with a 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT matchup on Thursday, March 19. Sophomore Andrew Zellner (Farmersville, Ohio/Farmersville) is scheduled to get the start for the Bearcats.
//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/ticketsor call 1-877-CATS-TIX.
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