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CONWAY, S.C. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team played its second back-and-forth game of the day against Ball State on Saturday, falling 5-4 in the nightcap of a doubleheader at the Chanticleer Classic in Conway, South Carolina.
// Notables
- With the loss, Cincinnati drops to 1-9 on the year while Ball State advances to 5-6.
- A.J. Olasz (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin Area) (0-2) took the loss while BSU's Brendan Burns (2-0) earned the victory and B.J. Butler picked up the save.
- Freshman A.J. Kullman (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) made his first-collegiate start, pitching 4.0 innings with five hits, four runs and a strikeout.
- Redshirt sophomore Connor McVey (Mason, Ohio/Mason) led off the fourth inning with a double to extend his hit streak to six games.
- Freshman Cole Murphy hit the first homerun of his young career in the fourth inning to give UC a 3-2 lead.
- The game was the third of four games at the Chanticleer Classic on the campus of Coastal Carolina University. UC will finish the weekend against No. 13 Ole Miss at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 6.
// Key Innings
Top of the Fourth
Ball State broke through for the game's first runs in the fourth inning, beginning with a walk and three straight singles to bring home the first. The second run scored on a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Cardinals the 2-0 advantage.
Bottom of the Fourth
McVey opened up the frame with a double to left field and moved to third on a groundout by sophomore Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant). A Ball State fielding error allowed McVey to score, setting the stage for the next batter, Murphy. The freshman launched a 0-1 pitch into the BSU bullpen for his first-career homerun and a 3-2 Cincinnati lead.
Top of the Fifth
Ball State loaded the bases with zero outs after a hit batter, a double and a walk. It tied the score at 3-3 with a single by Caleb Strayton and took a 4-3 lead after a sacrifice fly by Colin Brockhouse. The Cardinals threatened more but with the bases loaded, Olasz conducted back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
Top of the Sixth
Ball State scored for the third straight inning, using a single up the middle by Ryan Spaulding to bring home a runner from second. A UC fielding error put another runner aboard but a double play by McVey, sophomore Manny Rodriguez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Calvert Hall) and freshman Cam Alldred (Batavia, Ohio/Cincinnati Country Day) left the score at 5-3.
Bottom of the Sixth
The Bearcats responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to get within 5-4. Noda led off he inning with a single and advanced to second on a groundout by senior Woody Wallace (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy). Senior Devin Wenzel (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood Area) followed with a double into the left field corner to score Noda and get UC within a run.
// Up Next
The Bearcats finish the Chanticleer Classic on Sunday, March 6, with a game against No. 13 Ole Miss at 11 a.m.
// 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 (@GoBearcatsBASE) and Coach Neal (@Ty_Neal_UC) on twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Facebook.
// Ticket Information
Season tickets for all 25 home matches can be purchased for as little $15. For more information, visit GoBEARCATS.com/tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX.