TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team used a combination of pitching and timely offense to earn a split in the four-game series with crosstown rival Xavier, winning 7-2 in the finale on Monday at UC Baseball Stadium.
Cincinnati (8-9) had a four-run sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and then added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. After Xavier (5-9) scored a run in the second, the Bearcats bullpen gave up a single hit and had five 1-2-3 innings.
Zach Segal came out of the pen and pitched five strong innings to pick up the win. He struck out six while giving up a single run on two hits with no walks and retired the final 13 batters he faced. Starter Drake Batcho was limited to a single inning of work after an XU single went off his hand in the bottom of the first.
UC scored a run in the bottom of the first on a Wyatt Stapp sac fly which plated Jace Mercer. After that, the Bearcats had only three base runners as XU starter Connor Bailey was bus pitching a gem of his own. Bailey, who did not factor in the decision, threw five innings, scattering three hits on the one unearned run with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.
The offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth with Griffin Merritt starting things off with a one-out triple off the wall in right center. He scored moments later after a fielding error by the Musketeers on a Tanner Holen grounder. Paul Komistek singled and was followed by Jake Hansen's second double of the afternoon which scored Holen. Cole Harting hit a rocket up the middle to score Komistek and a scurrying Hansen. UC loaded the bases, but a groundout ended the threat.
Merritt led off the seventh with a single through the right side and Holen hammered one down the left-field line and onto Sheakley Lawn for the 7-1 advantage.
NOTABLE
• Hansen was 2-for-4 Monday with his pair of hard-hit doubles, an RBI and run scored.
• Jackson Murphy and Aiden Bradbury each pitched scoreless innings and Beau Keathley came in with the bases loaded in the ninth and got a strikeout and a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.
• Komistek hit .667 in three games vs. XU, tallying six hits, seven RBI, four runs scored and three walks.
• Holen finished 1-for-3 with 2 RBI, two runs scored and the home run. He hit .455 for the series with five hits, seven runs, two homers, seven runs batted in, two walks and a stolen base.
• Harting hit .412, also with a pair of home runs, seven hits, seven RBI and four walks.
• Mercer joined the double homer parade, hitting .333 over four games, batting in seven runs, scoring four to go with his fives hits, four walks and pair of stolen bases.
UP NEXT
UC will play its final nonconference series of the campaign this weekend, welcoming Saint Louis to UC Baseball Stadium for. A three-game set. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. ET on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games will air on ESPN+ with live stats on BearcatStats.com.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Baseball season-ticket packages for 2021 are on sale, priced at $50 for adults and $30 for youths (aged 4-12), seniors (age 65 and up), UC faculty and staff and members of the military. Get your season tickets to lock in your seats! Make your purchase online.
Make your purchase online today! Contact the Bearcats Ticket Office at 1-877-CATS-TIX with any questions.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati baseball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow UC baseball (@GoBearcatsBase) and Coach Googins (@CoachGoogs) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
Cincinnati (8-9) had a four-run sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and then added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. After Xavier (5-9) scored a run in the second, the Bearcats bullpen gave up a single hit and had five 1-2-3 innings.
Zach Segal came out of the pen and pitched five strong innings to pick up the win. He struck out six while giving up a single run on two hits with no walks and retired the final 13 batters he faced. Starter Drake Batcho was limited to a single inning of work after an XU single went off his hand in the bottom of the first.
UC scored a run in the bottom of the first on a Wyatt Stapp sac fly which plated Jace Mercer. After that, the Bearcats had only three base runners as XU starter Connor Bailey was bus pitching a gem of his own. Bailey, who did not factor in the decision, threw five innings, scattering three hits on the one unearned run with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.
The offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth with Griffin Merritt starting things off with a one-out triple off the wall in right center. He scored moments later after a fielding error by the Musketeers on a Tanner Holen grounder. Paul Komistek singled and was followed by Jake Hansen's second double of the afternoon which scored Holen. Cole Harting hit a rocket up the middle to score Komistek and a scurrying Hansen. UC loaded the bases, but a groundout ended the threat.
Merritt led off the seventh with a single through the right side and Holen hammered one down the left-field line and onto Sheakley Lawn for the 7-1 advantage.
NOTABLE
• Hansen was 2-for-4 Monday with his pair of hard-hit doubles, an RBI and run scored.
• Jackson Murphy and Aiden Bradbury each pitched scoreless innings and Beau Keathley came in with the bases loaded in the ninth and got a strikeout and a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.
• Komistek hit .667 in three games vs. XU, tallying six hits, seven RBI, four runs scored and three walks.
• Holen finished 1-for-3 with 2 RBI, two runs scored and the home run. He hit .455 for the series with five hits, seven runs, two homers, seven runs batted in, two walks and a stolen base.
• Harting hit .412, also with a pair of home runs, seven hits, seven RBI and four walks.
• Mercer joined the double homer parade, hitting .333 over four games, batting in seven runs, scoring four to go with his fives hits, four walks and pair of stolen bases.
UP NEXT
UC will play its final nonconference series of the campaign this weekend, welcoming Saint Louis to UC Baseball Stadium for. A three-game set. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. ET on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games will air on ESPN+ with live stats on BearcatStats.com.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Baseball season-ticket packages for 2021 are on sale, priced at $50 for adults and $30 for youths (aged 4-12), seniors (age 65 and up), UC faculty and staff and members of the military. Get your season tickets to lock in your seats! Make your purchase online.
Make your purchase online today! Contact the Bearcats Ticket Office at 1-877-CATS-TIX with any questions.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati baseball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow UC baseball (@GoBearcatsBase) and Coach Googins (@CoachGoogs) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.