TicketsGREENVILLE, N.C. – University of Cincinnati baseball hit back-to-back homeruns in the top of the ninth to take a 4-3 win from No. 10 ECU in the series opener Friday night.
Down 3-2 with one out, Connor McVey went deep to left on a 1-0 count to tie it at three. Manny Rodriguez then followed on the very next pitch and put one out to right for the lead. With the one-run advantage, fellow senior Jarod Yoakam entered the game, threw eight pitches and earned the save in an incredible win for the Bearcats.
There were a lot of big moments in the game where the outcome could have been altered had the plays gone another way. Both teams left bases loaded in the first inning. ECU had bases loaded with a one-run lead in the fourth but starter J.T. Perez ended the inning on a full-count strikeout. Kyle Mottice led off with a triple on the first pitch of the seventh and UC loaded the bases but stranded all three runners. Tied at two, the Pirates attempted a squeeze bunt with runners on the corners but A.J. Kullman made a great play and tossed the ball to catcher Mason DeAnna for the out at the plate. The eighth inning ended when, with runners on first and second and a one-run lead, ECU hit a fly ball to center fielder Treg Haberkorn. It appeared Haberkorn dropped the ball on the transfer, but the umps disagreed. Haberkorn made a head's-up play and threw to McVey at third who then threw to second to double up the runners who did not advance on the fly ball.
// NOTABLES
• Cincinnati improves to 26-22 on the year and 12-8 in conference play
• With the win and other action around the league, UC is now in a tie for second place in the conference standings
• N0. 10 ECU drops to 35-13 and 11-8
• A.J. Bumpass had a big night playing in his home state. He finished 3-for-5 with a double and a RBI
• Mottice went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored
• McVey and Rodriguez both finished with two hits, one run, one RBI and a homerun
• Haberkorn also earned a RBI and run scored on a solo homerun
• Eric Santiago was the fifth Bearcats hitter to have a multi-hit night. He went 2-for-4
• Perez gave up two early runs then settled in. He went 5.0 frames with four hits, two walks and four strikeouts
• A.J. Kullman followed and threw 2.0 scoreless innings with three hits, one walk and one strikeout
• Clayton Colvin earned the win as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one in 1.0 frame
• Yoakam picked up his fifth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the 1st
• A single and a homerun opened the scoring on the night
Top of the 2nd
• Reigning conference Player of the Week Haberkorn got a run back with a line-drive homerun over the wall in right field
Top of the 5th
• The game became tied in the fifth. Mottice started the frame by getting hit and made his way over to third on a sacrifice bunt by McVey and a fly out by Rodriguez. Bumpass then scorched a single through the right side to allow to Mottice to score easily
Bottom of the 8th
• The bottom of the eighth got started when a popped up bunt landed just so the runner was able to reach on an infield single. After moving to second on a passed ball, a Pirates RBI double allowed the home team to get ahead
Top of the 9th
• Back-to-back homeruns would shift the lead back to the Bearcats in the final frame. McVey went deep to left and Rodriguez followed with one to the opposite field on the next pitch to put UC head by one. The rally looked to continue as Bumpass hit one off the wall in left center for a double, but after a pitching change, ECU was able to record the next two outs
// UP NEXT
• The second game of the series is set for Saturday at 4 p.m.
• The final game at ECU will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m.
• UC returns home for an 11 a.m. game against Ohio State on Tuesday, May 15
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook (GoBearcatsBase), Twitter (@GoBearcatsBase) and Instagram (GoBearcatsBase)
Down 3-2 with one out, Connor McVey went deep to left on a 1-0 count to tie it at three. Manny Rodriguez then followed on the very next pitch and put one out to right for the lead. With the one-run advantage, fellow senior Jarod Yoakam entered the game, threw eight pitches and earned the save in an incredible win for the Bearcats.
There were a lot of big moments in the game where the outcome could have been altered had the plays gone another way. Both teams left bases loaded in the first inning. ECU had bases loaded with a one-run lead in the fourth but starter J.T. Perez ended the inning on a full-count strikeout. Kyle Mottice led off with a triple on the first pitch of the seventh and UC loaded the bases but stranded all three runners. Tied at two, the Pirates attempted a squeeze bunt with runners on the corners but A.J. Kullman made a great play and tossed the ball to catcher Mason DeAnna for the out at the plate. The eighth inning ended when, with runners on first and second and a one-run lead, ECU hit a fly ball to center fielder Treg Haberkorn. It appeared Haberkorn dropped the ball on the transfer, but the umps disagreed. Haberkorn made a head's-up play and threw to McVey at third who then threw to second to double up the runners who did not advance on the fly ball.
// NOTABLES
• Cincinnati improves to 26-22 on the year and 12-8 in conference play
• With the win and other action around the league, UC is now in a tie for second place in the conference standings
• N0. 10 ECU drops to 35-13 and 11-8
• A.J. Bumpass had a big night playing in his home state. He finished 3-for-5 with a double and a RBI
• Mottice went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored
• McVey and Rodriguez both finished with two hits, one run, one RBI and a homerun
• Haberkorn also earned a RBI and run scored on a solo homerun
• Eric Santiago was the fifth Bearcats hitter to have a multi-hit night. He went 2-for-4
• Perez gave up two early runs then settled in. He went 5.0 frames with four hits, two walks and four strikeouts
• A.J. Kullman followed and threw 2.0 scoreless innings with three hits, one walk and one strikeout
• Clayton Colvin earned the win as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one in 1.0 frame
• Yoakam picked up his fifth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the 1st
• A single and a homerun opened the scoring on the night
Top of the 2nd
• Reigning conference Player of the Week Haberkorn got a run back with a line-drive homerun over the wall in right field
Top of the 5th
• The game became tied in the fifth. Mottice started the frame by getting hit and made his way over to third on a sacrifice bunt by McVey and a fly out by Rodriguez. Bumpass then scorched a single through the right side to allow to Mottice to score easily
Bottom of the 8th
• The bottom of the eighth got started when a popped up bunt landed just so the runner was able to reach on an infield single. After moving to second on a passed ball, a Pirates RBI double allowed the home team to get ahead
Top of the 9th
• Back-to-back homeruns would shift the lead back to the Bearcats in the final frame. McVey went deep to left and Rodriguez followed with one to the opposite field on the next pitch to put UC head by one. The rally looked to continue as Bumpass hit one off the wall in left center for a double, but after a pitching change, ECU was able to record the next two outs
// UP NEXT
• The second game of the series is set for Saturday at 4 p.m.
• The final game at ECU will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m.
• UC returns home for an 11 a.m. game against Ohio State on Tuesday, May 15
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook (GoBearcatsBase), Twitter (@GoBearcatsBase) and Instagram (GoBearcatsBase)