TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati baseball earned its first win of the season in a big way at the 2020 home-opener at Marge Schott Stadium. The Bearcats beat Oakland 18-0 in a seven-inning contest.
Free bases were the key to success as UC walked 17 times and had five hit batters in the game to go along with seven hits and three Oakland errors.
// NOTABLES
• Every starting batter had either a hit or a RBI in the game
• Jace Mercer was 1-for-1 with five runs scored. He walked four times, had a double and stole four bases
• Joey Wiemer walked four times and scored four runs
• Wyatt Stapp led the team with five RBI as he walked three times and went 1-for-2 at the plate
• Griffin Merritt was 2-for-2 with three RBI, two walks and a run scored
• Jeremy Johnson rounded out the order with a 2-for-3 day with a double, walks and three runs scored
• Shawver had a good start to the shutout, throwing 5.0 innings with three hits, three walks and seven strikeouts
• Andrew Noelker made his season debut in relief, pitching the final 2.0 innings with one hit, facing the minimum of six batters
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the 1st
For the fifth time in seven games, UC scored in the first inning. Mercer led off with a walk, stole second and Wiemer walked before the duo pulled off a double steal to put two in scoring position. Joey Bellini was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Stapp hit into a double play that allowed the first run of the game to score. Wiemer later scored on an error, a failed pickoff attempt.
Bottom of the 2nd
The Bearcats scored four in the second, starting with a Paul Komistek single and Johnson RBI double. Mercer then walked and the speedy duo executed a double steal before an errant throw allowed a run to score. Merritt later scored two on a base hit.
Bottom of the 3rd
UC repeated with four more runs in the fourth. Joe Powell was hit by a pitch and Johnson singled. Mercer followed with a RBI double. After Wiemer was hit to load the bases, Bellini walked in a run and Stapp singled to score the other two.
Bottom of the 5th
The biggest inning came in an eight-run fifth. Nine walks, two hit batters and a Merritt single allowed the Bearcats to turn a 10-0 lead into an 18-0 ballgame.
// UP NEXT
• The series continues on Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest
• Sunday will be a double header starting at noon. Both games will be seven innings in length
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Free bases were the key to success as UC walked 17 times and had five hit batters in the game to go along with seven hits and three Oakland errors.
// NOTABLES
• Every starting batter had either a hit or a RBI in the game
• Jace Mercer was 1-for-1 with five runs scored. He walked four times, had a double and stole four bases
• Joey Wiemer walked four times and scored four runs
• Wyatt Stapp led the team with five RBI as he walked three times and went 1-for-2 at the plate
• Griffin Merritt was 2-for-2 with three RBI, two walks and a run scored
• Jeremy Johnson rounded out the order with a 2-for-3 day with a double, walks and three runs scored
• Shawver had a good start to the shutout, throwing 5.0 innings with three hits, three walks and seven strikeouts
• Andrew Noelker made his season debut in relief, pitching the final 2.0 innings with one hit, facing the minimum of six batters
// KEY INNINGS
Bottom of the 1st
For the fifth time in seven games, UC scored in the first inning. Mercer led off with a walk, stole second and Wiemer walked before the duo pulled off a double steal to put two in scoring position. Joey Bellini was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Stapp hit into a double play that allowed the first run of the game to score. Wiemer later scored on an error, a failed pickoff attempt.
Bottom of the 2nd
The Bearcats scored four in the second, starting with a Paul Komistek single and Johnson RBI double. Mercer then walked and the speedy duo executed a double steal before an errant throw allowed a run to score. Merritt later scored two on a base hit.
Bottom of the 3rd
UC repeated with four more runs in the fourth. Joe Powell was hit by a pitch and Johnson singled. Mercer followed with a RBI double. After Wiemer was hit to load the bases, Bellini walked in a run and Stapp singled to score the other two.
Bottom of the 5th
The biggest inning came in an eight-run fifth. Nine walks, two hit batters and a Merritt single allowed the Bearcats to turn a 10-0 lead into an 18-0 ballgame.
// UP NEXT
• The series continues on Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest
• Sunday will be a double header starting at noon. Both games will be seven innings in length
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.