TicketsORLANDO, Fla. – University of Cincinnati baseball scored seven runs in the final two innings to stage a big comeback and take a 9-6 victory at UCF on Sunday.
The gritty performance was highlighted by a two-homerun day by Manny Rodriguez, while on the mound Jarod Yoakam threw two scoreless frames for the win and Clayton Colvin earned his first save by getting a double-play and a strikeout in the ninth.
// NOTABLES
• Cincinnati improves to an even 17-17 overall on the season and now sits at 7-5 on conference play
• UCF falls to 25-12 and 6-6
• The Bearcats' base were slow to start but picked up over the length of the game
• Rodriguez finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. He has now reached base in 36 straight games
• He becomes the first Bearcat to hit two long balls in a day since Ryan Noda did it in March of last season against Kentucky
• Connor McVey was also 3-for-5 at the plate
• Kyle Mottice scored three times and went 2-for-4 with a walk
• Cam Alldred was one strikeout shy of matching his career high as he went 5.0 innings in the start with four runs (three earned), three hits, one walk and eight strikeouts
• A.J. Kullman followed to throw one frame before Yoakam and Colvin entered to finish it out
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the 2nd
• A walk and a homerun made it a 2-0 game through two innings
Bottom of the 4th
• UCF added two more in the fourth frame. A solo homerun made it 3-0. After a single and a hit batter, a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt resulted in another run
Top of the 6th
• Cincinnati was able to get on the board in a loud way. Mottice singled up the middle and Rodriguez smacked a two-run shot over the left center wall
Bottom of the 6th
• The Knights got a run back on a double, walk and base hit. A wild pitch allowed a run to come home and put their lead back to four runs
Top of the 8th
• Down but not out, the Bearcats posted a five-run eighth inning to take a one-run lead. It started at the top of the order when Mottice led off with a single up the middle. Rodriguez then singled to put runners on the corners. Bumpass started the scoring spree with another single. Bases became loaded during the next at-bat when McVey joined in with a single of his own. Cole Murphy then walked on four pitches for an RBI. An Eric Santiago sacrifice fly added another run. The last two tallies came on an error by the Knights' shortstop that allowed both the game-tying and game-winning run to come home
Top of the 9th
• The one-run lead would have done it, but UC decided to add two more in the final inning. Mottice again led off and walked his way on base. Rodriguez then absolutely crushed a ball over the wall in left center to put the score at 9-6
// UP NEXT
• The Bearcats return home to Marge Schott Stadium on Wednesday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. to face Xavier
• Conference play resumes next weekend when UC hosts UConn for three games
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook (GoBearcatsBase), Twitter (@GoBearcatsBase) and Instagram (GoBearcatsBase)
The gritty performance was highlighted by a two-homerun day by Manny Rodriguez, while on the mound Jarod Yoakam threw two scoreless frames for the win and Clayton Colvin earned his first save by getting a double-play and a strikeout in the ninth.
// NOTABLES
• Cincinnati improves to an even 17-17 overall on the season and now sits at 7-5 on conference play
• UCF falls to 25-12 and 6-6
• The Bearcats' base were slow to start but picked up over the length of the game
• Rodriguez finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. He has now reached base in 36 straight games
• He becomes the first Bearcat to hit two long balls in a day since Ryan Noda did it in March of last season against Kentucky
• Connor McVey was also 3-for-5 at the plate
• Kyle Mottice scored three times and went 2-for-4 with a walk
• Cam Alldred was one strikeout shy of matching his career high as he went 5.0 innings in the start with four runs (three earned), three hits, one walk and eight strikeouts
• A.J. Kullman followed to throw one frame before Yoakam and Colvin entered to finish it out
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the 2nd
• A walk and a homerun made it a 2-0 game through two innings
Bottom of the 4th
• UCF added two more in the fourth frame. A solo homerun made it 3-0. After a single and a hit batter, a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt resulted in another run
Top of the 6th
• Cincinnati was able to get on the board in a loud way. Mottice singled up the middle and Rodriguez smacked a two-run shot over the left center wall
Bottom of the 6th
• The Knights got a run back on a double, walk and base hit. A wild pitch allowed a run to come home and put their lead back to four runs
Top of the 8th
• Down but not out, the Bearcats posted a five-run eighth inning to take a one-run lead. It started at the top of the order when Mottice led off with a single up the middle. Rodriguez then singled to put runners on the corners. Bumpass started the scoring spree with another single. Bases became loaded during the next at-bat when McVey joined in with a single of his own. Cole Murphy then walked on four pitches for an RBI. An Eric Santiago sacrifice fly added another run. The last two tallies came on an error by the Knights' shortstop that allowed both the game-tying and game-winning run to come home
Top of the 9th
• The one-run lead would have done it, but UC decided to add two more in the final inning. Mottice again led off and walked his way on base. Rodriguez then absolutely crushed a ball over the wall in left center to put the score at 9-6
// UP NEXT
• The Bearcats return home to Marge Schott Stadium on Wednesday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. to face Xavier
• Conference play resumes next weekend when UC hosts UConn for three games
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook (GoBearcatsBase), Twitter (@GoBearcatsBase) and Instagram (GoBearcatsBase)