TicketsCLEARWATER, Florida - Jace Mercer (Johns Creek, Ga./Johns Creek) tied an American Athletic Conference Championship record with six runs batted in, but the University of Cincinnati baseball team lost a 15-14 game to Memphis in 10 innings Wednesday on the second day of action at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida.
Cincinnati (28-30) saw its season end in the walk-off, extra-innings loss to the Tigers (30-28). Relief pitcher Colton Neel singled up the middle with two outs to score Carlos Williams from second and capped the Tigers comeback win. The teams played under windy conditions for most of the game with gusts over 25 MPH.
The Bearcats led 14-8 after seven-and-a-half innings, but Memphis scored seven unanswered runs, including three in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extra innings. After its five-run seventh, UC saw its final 12 batters retired by Neel who picked up his first win of the season. Entering the game, the Bearcats were 22-0 when leading after seven innings.
Reese Robinson (Dayton, Ohio/Centerville), one of seven UC hurlers in the game, took the loss. The Bearcats were into the bullpen in the second inning after starter Andrew Zellner (Farmersville, Ohio/Valley View) gave up six runs on three hits and three hit batters in 1.2 innings.
UC battled back from a 6-1 deficit after two innings by adding a pair in the fourth, five in the fifth and five in the seventh.
// NOTABLE
· The 29 combined runs was the most in American Athletic Conference Championship history.
· UC also closed out the 2016 season on a 10th-inning walk-off in the American Championship.
· Mercer was 3-for-5 with six RBIs, a double and a run scored. He is the first UC player to drive six runs in since Devin Wenzel had six on March 2, 2013, against New York Tech.
· R.J. Thompson (Mason, Ohio/Mason) finished 3-for-5 with a double, RBI, walk and three runs scored.
· Connor McVey (Mason, Ohio/Mason) was 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs scored, and his team-leading 15th stolen of the campaign. He closed the season with a 24 game on-base streak.
· A.J. Bumpass (Rougemont, N.C./Northern) hit his eighth home run of the year, a three-run shot down the left-field line in the top of the fifth inning.
· Kyle Mottice (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Jackson) came off the bench to go 2-for-4 with and a run scored.
· Junior catcher Joey Thomas (Mason, Ohio/Mason) threw out his conference-leading 27th runner this season.
// KEY INNINGS
Top of the First
UC struck first, going up 1-0 in the first after McVey walked and stole second and scored on a single through the right side by Mercer.
Bottom of the First
Memphis answered with four runs in their half of the first to lead 4-1. Chris Carrier's two-run homer to left, Zach Schritenthal's RBI single and a wild pitch led to the four-run frame.
Bottom of the Second
Memphis moved out to a 6-1 lead after two. Carrier doubled to score Brendan Grudzielanek and Zellner was pulled for Nathan Kroger (Loveland, Ohio/Milford). Trent Turner hit Kroger's first pitch to left center to score Carrier.
Top of the Fourth
UC got a pair back after Thomas hit a one-out double to right center to score Eric Santiago (Bethlehem, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond). Thomas later scored on ground out by Mottice.
Bottom of the Fourth
Memphis added two more after Turner homered to left field to score Carrier making the Tigers' lead 8-3.
Top of the Fifth
UC made it 8-7 after their half of the fifth. Thompson led off with a double, McVey walked and a single by Mercer scored Thompson. Santiago hit a ground-rule double to score McVey ahead of Bumpass' three-run homer which plated Santiago and Mercer.
Top of the Sixth
The Bearcats knotted things up after six-and-a-half on a sacrifice fly by Mercer which scored Thompson.
Top of the Seventh
UC loaded the bases with one out after a fielder's choice by Thomas, single by Mottice and a walk by Manny Rodriguez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Calvert Hall). Thompson walked to score Thomas and McVey walked to score Mottice. Mercer doubled to right and scored Rodriguez, and McVey to give the Bearcats the lead at 14-8.
Bottom of the Seventh
Memphis answered with three runs in the seventh to pull within three at 14-11. A Schritenthal double plated two and a single by Tyler Webb scored another. A.J. Kullman (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam to leave three runners stranded.
Bottom of the Ninth
Memphis tied it up at 14-14 to send it to extra innings. Grudzielanek had a bases-loaded single through the left side which scored two and Carrier also singled through the left side to score the tying run.
Bottom of the 10th
Williams drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Doug Lowe II (Marysville, Ohio/Triad) came out of the bullpen for Robinson and got Sam Nozicka to ground out to short on a 3-2 count for the second out. Neel singled with a 1-1 count to score Williams.
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