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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Junior Ian Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) hit a solo homerun in the top of the 12th inning to give the Bearcats a 5-4 lead and clinch the series over No. 24 Memphis on Saturday afternoon in Memphis, Tennessee. It was the 12th homerun of the season for Happ, who broke an 0-for-5 slump in the game.
Freshman Treg Haberkorn (Leo, Ind./Leo) again led the Bearcats offense with his second consecutive three-hit game, tying a career high. He also tied a career high with three RBIs while adding his fifth-career stolen base.
Sophomore Andrew Zellner (Farmersville, Ohio/Valley View) entered from the bullpen with one out in the first inning and paced the Bearcats for 7.2 innings of work. He set a new career high with 11 strikeouts, breaking his previous mark of eight set in 2014.
// NOTABLES
- With the win, Cincinnati improves to 15-30 and 6-11 in the American Athletic Conference while Memphis falls to 31-15 and 9-9.
- Freshman J.T. Perez (Orrville, Ohio/Orrville) picked up his first-career win and moves to 1-2 on the year while freshman Jarod Yoakam (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) earned his second save of the season. Memphis' Craig Caufield took the loss and fell to 3-1.
- It was the seventh extra-inning game of the season for the Bearcats, who are now 3-4 in extended games. The most recent extra-inning game was a 12-inning 8-7 victory over Memphis on April 12 at Marge Schott Stadium.
- Freshman Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant) singled in the sixth inning to extend his on base streak to 12 straight games.
- Zellner set a new career high with 11 strikeouts on the day. His previous career mark was eight, set against Memphis on May 11, 2014.
- Haberkorn recorded his second straight multi-hit game, and the fifth of his career. He tied career highs with three hits and three RBIs and is now 10-for-21 with 11 RBIs in five games against Memphis this season.
- Head coach Ty Neal penciled six 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.
- Cincinnati improves to 5-1 against the Tigers this season.
- Cincinnati pitchers tied a season high with 12 strikeouts on the mound while Cincinnati batters recorded a season-high 15 strikeouts at the plate. Combined, the game featured 27 strikeouts between the two teams.
- Memphis is currently ranked No. 24 in the Baseball America poll, marking the first time the Tigers have been ranked since 1994. The team also is receiving votes in both the NCBWA and USA Today Coaches' polls. The Tigers entered the game ranked first in the American Athletic Conference.
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the First
Memphis wasted no time taking an early lead when Darien Tubbs led off the frame with a homerun to left field. Freshman starting pitcher David Orndorff (Pasadena, Calif./Pasadena Polytechnic) walked two of the next three batters and was lifted with 1 out for Zellner. A groundout scored one more run for Memphis, but a strikeout ended the threat with a 2-0 Tigers lead.
Top of the Third
Cincinnati cut the Memphis lead to 2-1 in the third inning when Rodriguez launched a double into the gap in right center field, scoring junior Woody Wallace (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) from first base.
Top of the Sixth
Noda singled through the left side, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Haberkorn beat out an infield single to score Noda and tie the game at 2-2. Haberkorn then stole second and advanced to third on another wild pitch before Wallace was walked, but Memphis pitcher Dylan Toscano recorded his 10th strikeout of the game to get out of the jam.
Bottom of the Seventh
Zellner struck out the side, sitting the Tigers down in order in the seventh. They were his eighth, ninth and 10th strikeouts of the day to set a new career high for the sophomore.
Top of the Eighth
Cincinnati took its first lead of the day in the eighth when Haberkorn lined a double into right field, scoring Wenzel and Noda and giving the Bearcats a 4-2 advantage.
Bottom of the Eighth
The Tigers quickly eliminated the deficit when Tucker Tubbs hit a two-run homerun over the left field fence to tie the re-tie the score at 4-4.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will go for the series sweep over the No. 24 Tigers on Sunday, May 3, at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. Freshman Dalton Lehnen (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) is scheduled to get the start for Cincinnati.
// 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.
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