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CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati baseball team recorded 17 hits and a season-high 16 runs en route to a 16-4 victory over Memphis on Saturday night at Marge Schott Stadium. Sophomore Kyle Mottice (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Jackson) had a career-high five hits with three runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Bearcats.
The win guaranteed the fourth consecutive American Athletic Conference series victory for Cincinnati, which sits alone atop the league standings with an 8-3 record. It is the first time UC has won its first four conference series since 2008 when the Bearcats finished 19-8 in league play.
// Notables
- Cincinnati improves to 20-20 on the year and 8-3 in The American while Memphis falls to 13-26 and 4-7.
- Sophomore J.T. Perez (Orrville, Ohio/Orrville) earned the win to move to 5-2 on the season. Memphis starting pitcher Connor Alexander (2-5) took the loss.
- UC's 16 runs were the most scored by the team since winning 18-5 at Dayton on March 11, 2014.
- Mottice finished with five hits, including a triple, a double and three singles. The total surpasses his previous career high of three. The second baseman also added three runs scored and two RBIs as the leadoff hitter.
- Junior R.J. Thompson (Mason, Ohio/Mason) had three hits with three runs scored.
- Sophomore Treg Haberkorn (Leo, Ind./Leo) had two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.
- Haberkorn, redshirt sophomore Connor McVey (Mason, Ohio/Mason) and sophomore Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant) all collected three RBIs for the Bearcats.
- Freshman Cole Murphy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) hit a two-run homerun in the first inning, the third of his career.
- Perez did now walk a batter and has not given up a base on balls since March 11, spanning 38.2 innings. Additionally, neither freshman Clayton Colvin (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) nor sophomore Dalton Lehnen (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) walked a batter in relief to keep a clean sheet for the Bearcats.
// Key Innings
Bottom of the First
Mottice led off the frame with a triple and scored on a groundout by McVey to tie the score at 1-1. A Haberkorn double brought home Alldred before Murphy's homerun gave the Bearcats a 4-1 advantage after the first inning.
Bottom of the Second
Cincinnati topped its four-run first inning with a five-run second inning to go ahead 9-1. Noda brought home two runs with a double and Haberkorn doubles in two more one batter later. Sophomore Manny Rodriguez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Calvert Hall) singled to score Haberkorn and put the home team ahead by eight runs.
Bottom of the Sixth
Back-to-back singles by Thompson and Mottice each scored a run to give Cincinnati a 14-3 lead.
// Up Next
The Bearcats will go for the sweep over Memphis on Sunday, April 24. The game will be played at 1 p.m. 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 (@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.