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FAIRBORN, Ohio - The University of Cincinnati baseball team won an 11-8 seesaw battle on a blustery Tuesday over Wright State at Nischwitz Stadium.
Cincinnati (22-22) led 7-3 after two innings and trailed 8-7 after four before scoring three in the seventh and one in the eighth to knock off the Raiders (29-14) for the second time this season.
UC moved to 8-3 in midweek action on the strength of some strong hitting from R.J. Thompson (Mason, Ohio/Mason) and a solid relief effort from winning pitcher Tristan Hammans (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial). Thompson finished 4-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored, continuing his strong performance of late. Hammans pitched 4.0 scoreless innings, striking out three and walking two and picked up his first win of the year.
Early on, both teams struggled with the swirling wind as 15 combined runs scored in the first four innings.
A.J. Olasz (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin Area) started and went 2.0 innings, giving up four runs on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Cal Jarrett (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) surrendered four runs in 1.1 innings before yielding to Hammans.
A single by Jace Mercer (Johns Creek, Ga./Johns Creek) through the right side in the top of the seventh scored Thompson to knot things up at eight runs apiece and a walk by Luke Turino (Toronto, Ontario/Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute) on a 3-2 count scored A.J. Bumpass (Rougemont, N.C./Northern) for the go-ahead run. Mercer scored the third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to center by Joey Thomas (Mason, Ohio/Mason) to give UC a 10-8 edge after 7.5 innings.
UC added an insurance run in the eighth when a sac fly by Bumpass plated Kyle Mottice (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Jackson) from third. UC led 11-8 and held the Raiders at bay in the final two innings for the win. Cam Alldred (Batavia, Ohio/Cincinnati Country Day) worked out of a jam in the eighth and David Orndorff (Pasadena, Calif./Pasadena Polytechnic) gave up a hit in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.
// NOTABLE
· UC's lineup had a different look as Mercer played second, Eric Santiago (Bethlehem, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) moved to first, started for the second-straight game, Vince Augustine (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) made his first start of the season in left and Mottice started at shortstop.
· Santiago finished 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs driven in.
· Bumpass hit his fifth home run of the season over the fence in right-center into the wind in the top of the first inning to give UC an early 2-0 lead. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk.
· Mercer was 2-for-5 with including a triple and two runs scored.
// INNINGS OF NOTE
Top of the First
Thompson led off with a single. Bumpass homered to right-center field to give UC a 2-0 lead. McVey struck out, but Mercer legged out a triple to right-center field. Santiago singled up the middle to score Mercer. Turino flew out to left. Santiago stole second. Thomas grounded out to third and the Bearcats had an early 3-0 lead.
Bottom of the First
WSU added two in the home half of the first. Weatherford hit a one-out double down the left-field line. Marquez flew out to right. Snyder was hit by a pitch. Gray singled through the right side and Weatherford scored from second. Orr walked on four pitches to load the bases and Whatley walked to score Snyder. Alders flew out to to end the frame.
Top of the Second
Augustine got his first hit of a season, a pop-up that ended up falling into left field because of the wind, putting him on second base. Mottice popped a bunt to the catcher for the first out. Thompson lined a homer just inside the foul pole in left field to score Augustine and put the Bearcats up 5-2. Bumpass legged out a chopper to the third baseman for a one-out infield single. McVey reached on an error by the third baseman and Bumpass moved to second. Mercer popped out to the shortstop. Santiago tripled to right field, which took a weird hop and allowed two runs to score to put UC up 7-2. Turino lined out to first to end the inning.
Bottom of the Third
Marquez led off with a triple down the right-field line that went under the glove of a diving Santiago at first and all the way to the corner. Snyder hit pitch over the fence in right-center field to score two runs. Gray walked and Jarrett relieved Olasz. Orr reached on a fielder's choice and Gray was out at second. Whatley had a hart-hit single to runners on first and second. Giltrow grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning with UC leading 7-4.
Top of the Fourth
Jarrett gives up a leadoff walk to Morrow and a Weatherford line drive up the middle past a diving Mercer put runners on first and second with no outs. The runners advanced on a double steal. Marquez walked to load the bases. Snyder was hit by a pitch to score Morrow. Gray hit a sacrifice fly to short center for the first out, Thompson and Bumpass collided on the play and Weatherford scored. Orr's RBI double to left center eluded a diving Thompson and scored Marquez to knot things up at seven. Hammans relieved for Jarrett. Snyder scored on a passed ball and Whatley walked.
Top of the Seventh
Thompson's led off single snapped a streak of 13-straight Bearcats retired by WSU pitching. Bumpass walked. McVey's sacrifice bunt moved the runners up to second and third with one out. Mercer hit a single through the left side to score Thompson and Bumpass moved up to third. Santiago's bunt to the pitcher was mishandled for an error and loaded the bases. Turino walked to score Bumpass and put the Bearcats on top 9-8. Thomas hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Mercer and put the Bearcats up 10-8. Augustine popped out to end the inning.
Top of the Eighth
Mottice dropped a leadoff drag bunt down the first base line to get aboard. Thompson singled through the hole at short and Mottice moved to third on the hit and run. Bumpass' sacrifice fly to center scored Mottice. Mercer flew out to center and Thompson moved to third. McVey stole second. Santiago hit one to the warning track in left for the third out and UC led 11-8.
// UP NEXT
UC continues a seven-game road swing away from Marge Schott Stadium at Memphis, meeting the Tigers for a second time this season from May 5-7, 2017, at FedEx Park. Memphis took two of three from UC in the first league series of the year for both teams in early April.
// HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live audio coverage all four UC games this week will be available on GoBEARCATS.com. Matt Noonan (play-by-play) will call the action.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
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
Single-game tickets are just $5 for adults, $3 for youth and seniors, and $1 for groups of 20 or more. For tickets, call 1-877-CATS-TIX or visit GoBEARCATS.com/tickets.