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CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Senior Ryan Atkinson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) pitched 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts as the University of Cincinnati baseball team downed No. 6 UCF 4-1 on Thursday evening at Marge Schott Stadium.
Cincinnati used a combination of potent pitching and timely hitting to tame one of the nation's most dangerous offensive teams. The Knights rank among the top five in the NCAA in batting average, hits, homeruns, on base percentage, runs and slugging percentage but managed just five hits and one run against the Bearcats pitching staff. Atkinson and relievers Jarod Yoakam (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) and Andrew Zellner (Farmersville, Ohio/Farmersville) combined for 12 strikeouts, a season high for Cincinnati.
Sophomore R.J. Thompson (Mason, Ohio/Mason) had two hits and two RBIs to lead the UC offense. Freshman Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant) and junior Devin Wenzel (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood Area) each launched solo homeruns to open the scoring.
The teams had to sit through a pair of lengthy weather delays, one before the first pitch and another following the sixth inning, before completing the game.
//NOTABLES
- With the victory, Cincinnati improves to 7-20 and 1-3 in the American Athletic Conference while UCF falls to 22-9 and 2-2.
- Atkinson earned the win in his first start of the year to improve his record to 2-3 while Zellner picked up his first-career save. The Knights' Cre Finfrock took the loss, his first of the season, to fall to 6-1.
- The victory was the first over a ranked team since beating No. 12 Houston 3-0 at home on April 26, 2014.
- No. 6 UCF is the highest-ranked opponent that UC has beaten on record. The Bearcats topped a 7th-ranked Houston team 11-10 in 12 innings on April 20, 2002 in Texas.
- Head coach Ty Neal penciled five freshmen into the starting lineup and has started at least four youngsters in each game this season. Freshmen Noda and Manny Rodriguez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Calvert Hall) have started every game for UC.
- Happ was walked in his first three at bats and singled in the seventh inning to appear on base in all four of his at bats and extend his on-base streak to 25 consecutive games.
- Thompson recorded his fifth multi-hit game of the season and his third in the last five outings.
- Atkinson tossed his best outing of the year, collecting a season-high seven strikeouts.
- Noda's homerun ties his for the team lead with seven on the year.
- Wenzel's homerun in the second inning was his first of the year and the ninth of his career.
- Cincinnati pitchers combined for a season-high 12 strikeouts in the game.
- UCF is ranked in the top-11 of all five major polls, checking in at No. 11 in the NCBWA poll, No. 10 in the D1Baseball.com poll, No. 11 in the USA Today Coaches' poll, No. 10 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and No. 6 in the Baseball America poll.
- The start of the game was delayed by an hour and a half before a one hour and 40 minute delay interrupted the game in the 7th inning.
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the First
Noda sent the second pitch he saw over the fence in left center for his team-leading seventh homerun of the season to put the Bearcats on the board first.
Bottom of the Second
Wenzel followed Noda's first-inning heroics with a solo shot of his own to left center in the second inning to extend the UC lead to 2-0.
Top of the Fourth
The Knights didn't record their first hit of the game until the fourth inning when Tommy Williams hit a 2-out double down the left field line. Atkinson responded, however, recording his fifth strikeout of the game to escape the damage.
Bottom of the Fifth
Cincinnati added a run in the fifth when Rodriguez bunted for a single and advanced to second on a throwing error by the UCF third baseman. Thompson followed with an RBI-double off the right field fence to score Rodriguez and put UC on top of the No. 6 team by a score of 3-0.
Top of the Sixth
After Atkinson was lifted from the game, UCF recorded its first run in the sixth inning with a single, a groundout to move the runner and a double by Williams.
Bottom of the Seventh
After the game's second rain delay, the Bearcats came out swinging, getting a runner on second base before Thompson singled for his second RBI of the game. The hit scored freshman Treg Haberkorn (Leo, Ind./Leo) and gave the game the final score of 4-1.
//UP NEXT
Cincinnati and UCF will continue the three-game series on Friday, April 3, with a 6 p.m. first pitch from Marge Schott Stadium.
//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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