TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball hit four home runs in a 10-6 series-opening win over Tulane on Thursday afternoon in American Athletic Conference action at UC Baseball Stadium.
Cincinnati (26-24, 15-14 AAC) got homers from Cole Harting (9), Jace Mercer (8), Ryan Nicholson (5) and Eric Santiago (7) in the win. Tulane (28-19, 17-7 AAC) added three home runs of its own on a warm and sunny day in the Queen City.
Mercer staked UC starter Garrett Schoenle with a 5-0 lead after belting a second-inning, grand slam off the scoreboard in right field, his ninth round tripper of the season. The Bearcats loaded the bases with three-straight singles. From Ryan Nicholson, Paul Komistek and Griffin Merritt before an infield single by Joe Powell ended up in no-man's land and allowed Nicholson to score. Mercer's poke off the board came next on a 1-0 count.
Schoenle (6-3), who was on a pitch count, gave up a single hit in three innings, fanning four. He will open the AAC Championship for UC on the hill next Tuesday in Clearwater, Florida.
UC made it 8-1 in the fifth after Nicholson just missed nicking Fifth Third Arena with a home-run ball of his own. Again, the single was kind to the Bearcats as Mercer led off with a tap to the right side and Bellini hit one to the left side to put runners on the corners with no outs. Nicholson sent an 0-1 offering skyward over the right-field fence for his fifth homer of the campaign.
Santiago tagged one over the left-field fence to lead off the seventh, making the score 10-3 Cincinnati.
UP NEXT
Game two was set to start at 5 p.m. ET Friday.
THURSDAY, MAY 20 - 2
45 Minutes After Game 1 • ESPN+
RHP Zach Segal vs. LHP Jack Aldrich
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 (26-24, 15-14 AAC) got homers from Cole Harting (9), Jace Mercer (8), Ryan Nicholson (5) and Eric Santiago (7) in the win. Tulane (28-19, 17-7 AAC) added three home runs of its own on a warm and sunny day in the Queen City.
Mercer staked UC starter Garrett Schoenle with a 5-0 lead after belting a second-inning, grand slam off the scoreboard in right field, his ninth round tripper of the season. The Bearcats loaded the bases with three-straight singles. From Ryan Nicholson, Paul Komistek and Griffin Merritt before an infield single by Joe Powell ended up in no-man's land and allowed Nicholson to score. Mercer's poke off the board came next on a 1-0 count.
Schoenle (6-3), who was on a pitch count, gave up a single hit in three innings, fanning four. He will open the AAC Championship for UC on the hill next Tuesday in Clearwater, Florida.
UC made it 8-1 in the fifth after Nicholson just missed nicking Fifth Third Arena with a home-run ball of his own. Again, the single was kind to the Bearcats as Mercer led off with a tap to the right side and Bellini hit one to the left side to put runners on the corners with no outs. Nicholson sent an 0-1 offering skyward over the right-field fence for his fifth homer of the campaign.
Santiago tagged one over the left-field fence to lead off the seventh, making the score 10-3 Cincinnati.
UP NEXT
Game two was set to start at 5 p.m. ET Friday.
THURSDAY, MAY 20 - 2
45 Minutes After Game 1 • ESPN+
RHP Zach Segal vs. LHP Jack Aldrich
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.