TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati baseball team earned a doubleheader split with No. 11 East Carolina thanks to a 7-6, walk-off win in 10 innings at UC Baseball Stadium Friday.
Cincinnati (25-22, 13-12 American Athletic Conference) got a pair of runs on a throwing error by ECU's Connor Norby who mishandled a bouncer from Cole Harting and threw it over the first basemen to allow Wyatt Stapp and Griffin Merritt to score. Stapp started the inning on second due to the AAC extra-inning rule and advanced to third on a Ryan Nicholson sac fly. Merritt was hit by a pitch and later advanced to second.
It marked UC's second-straight, extra-innings walk-off over a ranked team at UC Baseball Stadium. The Bearcats knocked off then No. 5 Louisville, 13-12 in 10 innings on March 30, 2021.
The Bearcats trailed 6-5 entering the 10th after ECU's Jacob Starling scored on a suicide squeeze play with Alec Makarewicz at the plate. Starling started the inning at second and took third on Seth Caddell's fly before scampering home on the bunt.
An RBI double by Joey Bellini in the third scored Jace Mercer and Tanner Holen and a sac fly by Paul Komistek later scored Bellini as the Bearcats took a 3-1 lead in the third.
ECU (34-11, 16-6 AAC) came back to lead 4-3 in the fifth, plating a run off of a wild pitch and later a two-run double by Josh Moylan.
The Bearcats came right back with two in the fifth on a two-run single by Nicholson which scored Eric Santiago and Bellini handing UC a 5-4 lead.
Starter Zach Segal pitched through the sixth inning, giving up four runs on 11 hits with no walks and a strikeout in a no-decision. Eventual game-winner Dean McCarthy (4-3) didn't surrender a hit in 4.0 innings of work, struck out five and gave up two unearned runs on a passed ball in the ninth which allowed ECU to send the game to extra innings and the squeeze bunt in the 10th.
ECU's Cam Colmore took the loss, his first of the season, after giving up both unearned runs in the 10th. He struck out two in 1.2 innings of work. The Pirates sent eight pitchers to the hill Friday night.
UP NEXT
The teams continue the series on Saturday with a 4 p.m. ET first pitch at UC Baseball Stadium. UC LHP Evan Shawver will be on the hill for the Bearcats while the Pirates have yet to name a starter. Fans should visit the baseball ticket page for more information or to make their purchase now! Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, 1,000 fans will be allowed in UC Baseball Stadium for game days.
GAME 3 INFORMATION
SATURDAY, MAY 15
4 p.m. • ESPN+
LHP Evan Shawver vs. TBA
TICKETS • WATCH • LIVE STATS
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 (25-22, 13-12 American Athletic Conference) got a pair of runs on a throwing error by ECU's Connor Norby who mishandled a bouncer from Cole Harting and threw it over the first basemen to allow Wyatt Stapp and Griffin Merritt to score. Stapp started the inning on second due to the AAC extra-inning rule and advanced to third on a Ryan Nicholson sac fly. Merritt was hit by a pitch and later advanced to second.
It marked UC's second-straight, extra-innings walk-off over a ranked team at UC Baseball Stadium. The Bearcats knocked off then No. 5 Louisville, 13-12 in 10 innings on March 30, 2021.
The Bearcats trailed 6-5 entering the 10th after ECU's Jacob Starling scored on a suicide squeeze play with Alec Makarewicz at the plate. Starling started the inning at second and took third on Seth Caddell's fly before scampering home on the bunt.
An RBI double by Joey Bellini in the third scored Jace Mercer and Tanner Holen and a sac fly by Paul Komistek later scored Bellini as the Bearcats took a 3-1 lead in the third.
ECU (34-11, 16-6 AAC) came back to lead 4-3 in the fifth, plating a run off of a wild pitch and later a two-run double by Josh Moylan.
The Bearcats came right back with two in the fifth on a two-run single by Nicholson which scored Eric Santiago and Bellini handing UC a 5-4 lead.
Starter Zach Segal pitched through the sixth inning, giving up four runs on 11 hits with no walks and a strikeout in a no-decision. Eventual game-winner Dean McCarthy (4-3) didn't surrender a hit in 4.0 innings of work, struck out five and gave up two unearned runs on a passed ball in the ninth which allowed ECU to send the game to extra innings and the squeeze bunt in the 10th.
ECU's Cam Colmore took the loss, his first of the season, after giving up both unearned runs in the 10th. He struck out two in 1.2 innings of work. The Pirates sent eight pitchers to the hill Friday night.
UP NEXT
The teams continue the series on Saturday with a 4 p.m. ET first pitch at UC Baseball Stadium. UC LHP Evan Shawver will be on the hill for the Bearcats while the Pirates have yet to name a starter. Fans should visit the baseball ticket page for more information or to make their purchase now! Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, 1,000 fans will be allowed in UC Baseball Stadium for game days.
GAME 3 INFORMATION
SATURDAY, MAY 15
4 p.m. • ESPN+
LHP Evan Shawver vs. TBA
TICKETS • WATCH • LIVE STATS
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.