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LEXINGTON, Kentucky - Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant) hit a pair of home runs, but the University of Cincinnati baseball team dropped a 13-7 midweek decision at Kentucky, Tuesday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Noda, named to the American Athletic Conference honor roll this week, finished 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, both hit to right center field, and five RBI. It was his second career multi-home run game as he also hit two deep against Xavier on March 25, 2016.
The Bearcats (12-12) split the season series with the Wildcats (19-7) as both teams won at their home fields.
A seven-run bottom of the fifth inning turned a 6-4 UC lead into an 11-7 UK lead. UC pitchers hit three batters and walked a pair and the seven runs came on only three hits. The Wildcats added a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth and the Bearcats got one back in the top of the ninth to make the final tally 13-7.
A.J. Kullman (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) took the loss to even his record at 3-3. UK reliever Brad Schaenzer moved his record to 4-0 with the win.
// NOTABLE
leads the all-time series 61-30-2 with a 41-13-1 mark in games in Lexington.
· UC starter A.J. Olasz (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin Area) went 1.1 innings, giving up three runs on three hits and walking one in a no-decision, his shortest outing of 2017. He had gone six or more innings in two of his last three starts.
· UC used eight pitchers on the night.
· Kyle Mottice (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Jackson) was 2-for-5 with a double, his third of the season.
· A.J. Bumpass (Rougemont, N.C./Northern) and Connor McVey (Mason, Ohio/Mason) each added giving them 18 and 15 on the season, respectively, No. 1 and No. 2 on the team.
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the First
UC jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Bumpass drew a one-out walk and scored on a McVey double to left center. R.J. Thompson (Mason, Ohio/Mason) reached on catcher's interference and Noda hit a three-run homer to right center to plate McVey and Thompson. Eric Santiago (Bethlehem, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) struck out swinging ahead of Treg Haberkorn (Leo, Ind./Leo) hitting a single to second base and advancing on an error. Joey Thomas (Mason, Ohio/Mason) grounded out to short to end the frame.
Bottom of the Second
added three runs to pull within one at 4-3. Mahan drew a leadoff walk on a 3-2 count and Cottam doubled to left field to move him to third. Pompey hit a double to center and scored Mahan and Cottam. Squires grounded out, Pompey advanced to third and Olasz was lifted for Jarod Yoakam (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville). doubled to right center and scored Pompey and Yoakam induced a pair of groundouts to get out of the inning.
Top of the Third
UC took a 6-3 lead in the third on the strength of Noda's second long ball of the game. Thompson led off with a double to center field to chase UK starter Zack Thompson from the game. Schaenzer relieved and gave up a homerun on his first pitch. Noda hit a towering shot to , his second home run of the game, to score Thompson.
Bottom of the Third
Becker pinch hit and homered off Yoakam to make the margin 6-4 in favor of the Bearcats.
Bottom of the Fifth
broke the game open with seven runs in the fifth inning to take an 11-6 lead. UC relievers hit three batters and walked two in the inning. Doug Lowe II (Marysville, Ohio/Triad) relieved Yoakam to start things off, hitting Reks and giving up a single to Becker before inducing a line out by Mahan for the first out. Kullman came pitch, hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. Pompey and Squires drew back to back walks to plate a pair of runs. was hit by a pitch to score another run. Carson grounded out to Kullman for the second out of the inning, but Pompey scored on the play. White singled to right field to score Heady and Squires and Nathan Kroger (Loveland, Ohio/Milford) relieved Kullman. Reks singled to right center and was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.
Bottom of the Eighth
Cam Alldred (Batavia, Ohio/Cincinnati Country Day) started the inning and gave up a single to Carson. White was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up a base on a balk. Carson scored on a wild pitch and White moved to third. Reks drew a 3-2 walk and Orndorff (Pasadena, California/Pasadena Polytechnic) relieved Alldred. Reks advanced to second on a wild pitch and White scored on a throwing error by Thomas. Orndorff struck out Beker, got a line out from Marshall and struck out Collett to end the inning.
Top of the Ninth
UC got a run back in their last at-bat, making the final score 13-7. Thomas led off with a double and took third on a wild pitch. Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, Mottice struck out and Bumpass singled to first to score Thomas. McVey and Thompson struck out for the final two outs of the game.
// UP NEXT
UC returns to Marge Schott Stadium for a weekend set against Memphis, the American Athletic Conference opener for the Bearcats. It's MLB jersey weekend. Anyone wearing an MLB jersey will get $1 off the purchase of a single-game ticket. First pitch on Friday night is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will feature $1 hot dogs and Bearcats Blue Jeans night. Saturday's game will start at four with a postgame trading card giveaway on Signature Saturday. Select Bearcats will be on the concourse signing autographs following the game. Sunday's series finale will go at 1 p.m. and is a family day. For $20, families get four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and have the chance to run the bases after the game. Live audio and video coverage of all three games will be available on GoBEARCATS.com.
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For all 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 24 home games can be purchased for as little $15. For more information, visit GoBEARCATS.com/tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX.