TicketsORLANDO, Fla. – University of Cincinnati baseball lost a heart-breaker Friday night in the series-opener with UCF, 5-4.
The Bearcats had control of the game with a 4-0 lead through the top of the sixth, but the Knights came back with five unanswered runs via three homeruns to win it.
// NOTABLES
• Cincinnati evens its season record to 16-16 and is now 6-4 in conference play
• UCF improves to 24-11 and 5-5
• J.T. Perez put together a strong start on the mound. He threw five scoreless with just one run until the Knights broke through in the sixth frame. Perez's final line read 6.2 innings with four runs, four hits, four walks and five strikeouts
• A.J. Kullman entered the game in relief and threw the final 1.1 innings with one run, two hits and one walk
• A.J. Bumpass had a good night at the plate, going 3-for-5 with an RBI
• Dondrae Bremner earned two RBI despite finishing 0-for-1. He had a sacrifice fly and two walks
• Joey Thomas also had two hits on the nights with a run scored. He and Eric Santiago had the team's only extra-base hits of the game, both doubles
• With a single in his first at-bat, Manny Rodriguez has landed on base in 34 consecutive games
• Connor McVey reached base in every plate appearance. He's now reached in his last ten trips to the plate. In his last ten times at the dish he has walked five times, singled three times and has been hit twice
// KEY INNINGS
Top of the 1st
• UC wasted no time getting an early lead. Kyle Mottice started the game with a walk, Rodriguez followed with a single and Mottice moved all the way to third on an error. Bumpass then singled to right for an RBI. McVey was hit by a pitch during the next at-bat to load the bases. Bremner flied the first pitch he saw on the night to the left fielder for a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-0 game
Top of the 3rd
• The Bearcats added one on in the third. Thomas and Bumpass singled and McVey walked to load the bases. Bremner earned another RBI when he was walked after a full count
Top of the 6th
• UC scored one in the sixth when Santiago doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Treg Haberkorn and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Ramey
Bottom of the 6th
• The Knights made it a one-run game in the frame. A single and two-out walk set up a three-run homerun to left field
Bottom of the 7th
• A one-out, solo homerun just over the wall in left tied the game at four
Bottom of the 8th
• The go-ahead run came via another solo homerun
// UP NEXT
• The second game of the series is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
• The series finale is scheduled for Sunday at noon
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook (GoBearcatsBase), Twitter (@GoBearcatsBase) and Instagram (GoBearcatsBase)
The Bearcats had control of the game with a 4-0 lead through the top of the sixth, but the Knights came back with five unanswered runs via three homeruns to win it.
// NOTABLES
• Cincinnati evens its season record to 16-16 and is now 6-4 in conference play
• UCF improves to 24-11 and 5-5
• J.T. Perez put together a strong start on the mound. He threw five scoreless with just one run until the Knights broke through in the sixth frame. Perez's final line read 6.2 innings with four runs, four hits, four walks and five strikeouts
• A.J. Kullman entered the game in relief and threw the final 1.1 innings with one run, two hits and one walk
• A.J. Bumpass had a good night at the plate, going 3-for-5 with an RBI
• Dondrae Bremner earned two RBI despite finishing 0-for-1. He had a sacrifice fly and two walks
• Joey Thomas also had two hits on the nights with a run scored. He and Eric Santiago had the team's only extra-base hits of the game, both doubles
• With a single in his first at-bat, Manny Rodriguez has landed on base in 34 consecutive games
• Connor McVey reached base in every plate appearance. He's now reached in his last ten trips to the plate. In his last ten times at the dish he has walked five times, singled three times and has been hit twice
// KEY INNINGS
Top of the 1st
• UC wasted no time getting an early lead. Kyle Mottice started the game with a walk, Rodriguez followed with a single and Mottice moved all the way to third on an error. Bumpass then singled to right for an RBI. McVey was hit by a pitch during the next at-bat to load the bases. Bremner flied the first pitch he saw on the night to the left fielder for a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-0 game
Top of the 3rd
• The Bearcats added one on in the third. Thomas and Bumpass singled and McVey walked to load the bases. Bremner earned another RBI when he was walked after a full count
Top of the 6th
• UC scored one in the sixth when Santiago doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Treg Haberkorn and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Ramey
Bottom of the 6th
• The Knights made it a one-run game in the frame. A single and two-out walk set up a three-run homerun to left field
Bottom of the 7th
• A one-out, solo homerun just over the wall in left tied the game at four
Bottom of the 8th
• The go-ahead run came via another solo homerun
// UP NEXT
• The second game of the series is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
• The series finale is scheduled for Sunday at noon
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook (GoBearcatsBase), Twitter (@GoBearcatsBase) and Instagram (GoBearcatsBase)