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GREENVILLE, N.C. - Pitchers Andrew Zellner (Farmersville, Ohio/Valley View) and A.J. Kullman (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) combined for the shutout as the University of Cincinnati baseball team picked up a 3-0 win over No. 17 East Carolina on Friday night in Greenville, North Carolina. It was the fifth shutout of the season for the Bearcats and the fourth when Zellner has started the game.
UC remains alone atop the American Athletic Conference standings with a 9-4 mark in league play. ECU, which entered the weekend a game back of the Bearcats, sits in third at 7-6. The Bearcats are searching for their fifth conference series win in as many weeks.
// Notables
- Cincinnati improves to 21-21 on the year and 9-3 in The American while No. 17 East Carolina falls to 26-16 and 7-6.
- Zellner earned his team-leading sixth win of the season and improves to 6-2 on the year while Kullman picked up his second-career save. ECU starting pitcher Evan Kruczynski was handed his first loss of the year and sits at 5-1.
- It was the fourth victory over a ranked opponent this year for Cincinnati.
- The UC batters drew three walks and two hit by pitches from Kruczynski who had only allowed 11 walks and hit three batters all season.
- Redshirt sophomore Connor McVey (Mason, Ohio/Mason) led the offense with a pair of hits and a run scored.
- Sophomores Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant) and Joey Thomas (Mason, Ohio/Mason) each drove in a run for the Bearcats.
- Sophomore Treg Haberkorn (Leo, Ind./Leo) was hit twice and singled in the eighth inning and has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games.
- Sophomore Kyle Mottice (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Jackson), who entered the game with a league-leading .346 batting average in conference play, singled in the first at bat of the game to extend his on-base streak to nine games.
- McVey registered his league-leading 23rd stolen base during the game.
// Key Innings
Top of the Fourth
Singles by McVey and senior Woody Wallace (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) followed by a double steal put two runners in scoring position for the Bearcats with two outs. With freshman Vince Augustine (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) at bat, a passed ball brought home McVey to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead. On the next pitch, Augustine barely missed a two-run homerun, hitting it just wide of the foul pole before flying out to end the inning.
Top of the Seventh
With Augustine on second base and sophomore Manny Rodriguez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Calvert Hall) on first, Thomas singled through the right side to increase the Cincinnati lead to 2-0.
Top of the Eighth
Haberkorn led off the inning with an infield single and stole second base before a perfectly placed bunt single by McVey put runners on the corners with no outs. Noda then put another UC run on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 advantage.
Bottom of the Eighth
Kullman entered the game with a 3-0 lead and allowed a one-out walk and a two-out single to bring the tying run to the plate. ECU's Travis Watkins then grounded a slow roller down the third base line but a great play by McVey and a stretching pick by Noda at first ended the Pirate's scoring threat.
// Up Next
The Bearcats and the Pirates will continue the three-game series on Saturday, April 30, with a 4 p.m. first pitch in Greenville, North Carolina.
// 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.