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CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team got homeruns from senior R.J. Thompson (Mason, Ohio/Mason) and junior Ryan Noda (Volo, Ill./Grant) en route to a 9-4 victory over Western Carolina on Wednesday night at Marge Schott Stadium. It was the fourth consecutive win for the Bearcats who improved to 26-23 on the season and 14-9 in home contests.
After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning, Thompson set the tone of the game with a leadoff home run to get UC on the board. It was the first leadoff homer for the Bearcats since Kyle Mottice (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Jackson) accomplished the feat on May 1 of last season.
Noda then tied the game with one swing in the second inning with a 2-RBI homerun that landed on the roof of Fifth Third Arena in right center field. He became just the second Bearcats player to land a homerun on the basketball arena roof, joining Lance Durham who's shot on April 29, 2009, was measured at 560 feet by the UC engineering department.
In total, the Bearcats poured on the offense with all but one starter in the lineup recording a hit. Thompson and junior Joey Thomas (Mason, Ohio/Mason) registered multi-hit days for Cincinnati which finished the game with 11 total hits. It is the eighth time in the last 12 games that UC has recorded double-digit hits after doing so just eight times in its first 37 outings of the season.
On the mound, freshman Reese Robinson (Dayton, Ohio/Centerville) earned his first-career victory after pitching a stellar 5.1 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts and one walk allowed.
// NOTABLES
- With the win Cincinnati improves to 26-23 on the season while Western Carolina falls to 24-24.
- The Bearcats improve to 3-0 all-time against the Catamounts, including a 3-1 victory on May 17, 2016, at Marge Schott Stadium.
- Noda launched a homerun in back-to-back games, marking the first time a UC player hit long balls in consecutive games since he did so as a freshman in a doubleheader on March 21, 2015, against Nevada.
- Thompson finished a triple away from the cycle, recording a homerun in the first inning, a double in the third and a single in the sixth. He also drew a pair of walks to reach base in all five of his plate appearances.
- Thompson's three RBIs tied a career high for the senior.
- The Bearcats' defense has not recorded an error in four straight games, the longest such streak of the season.
// KEY INNINGS
Top of the First
The Catamounts struck first in the opening frame, using a pair of walks and consecutive singles to take a 3-0 lead before the Bearcats could record an out. Starting pitcher A.J. Olasz (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin Area) then settled into the game, inducing three straight flyouts to keep the damage to a minimum.
Bottom of the Second
After Thompson got the home team on the board with a solo shot in the first, UC added three runs in the second for a 4-3 lead. Noda's towering homerun got things started to score Thomas and tie the game at 3-3. Sophomore A.J. Bumpass (Rougemont, N.C./Northern) then gave UC the lead with a sacrifice fly that scored Mottice.
Bottom of the Third
The Bearcats weren't finished with the early onslaught, scoring four more runs in the third for an 8-3 advantage. UC connected for four doubles in the frame by redshirt junior Connor McVey (Mason, Ohio/Mason), freshman Jace Mercer (Johns Creek, Ga./Johns Creek), Thomas and Thompson for three of the runs and scored the other on an RBI-single from Mottice for the commanding lead.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will close out their 2017 home schedule this weekend with an American Athletic Conference series against UCF on May 12-14. Cincinnati will celebrate senior day in a pregame ceremony on Sunday, May 14, honoring McVey, Thompson and Andrew Zellner (Farmersville, Ohio/Valley View).
// 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
Tickets for the remaining home games can be purchased by visiting www.GoBEARCATS.com/tickets or by calling 1-877-CATS-TIX.