TicketsWICHITA, Kan. -- Redshirt junior outfielder Griffin Merritt put together an outstanding performance at the plate Thursday, hitting two home runs to help power the Cincinnati Bearcats over the Wichita State Shockers, 9-5.
Sophomore pitcher Conner Linn (3-1) started on the mound and picked up the win for Cincinnati (14-18, 4-3). The southpaw went six innings, giving up three runs, all of them earned, on eight hits, allowing one walk and striking out four. Sophomore pitcher Max Bergmann got the save for the Bearcats, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings while allowing two hits, with no walks and three strikeouts.
Merritt went 2-for-4 at the plate, supplementing his two home runs with a career-high five RBIs. Redshirt sophomore catcher Joe Powell added to Merritt's awesome power-hitting performance by going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs along with one walk. Redshirt junior outfielder Paul Komistek also chipped in for the Bearcats, going 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats got on the scoreboard first, starting in the third inning. Cincinnati scored three times, all of them coming across on a three-run homer off the bat of Merritt.
The Bearcats then lost some of their lead, expanding on their advantage in the sixth inning after the Shockers cut it to 3-2. The offense exploded for six runs, highlighted by a two-run home run off the bat of Merritt and a two-run double from Powell, which brought the Bearcats lead to 9-2. Wichita State put three runs on the scoreboard before the game was over, but Bergmann was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to clinch the 9-5 win for UC.
GAME NOTES
- Today's win marked head coach Scott Googins' 450th career victory (341 at Xavier, 109 at UC).
- Merritt hit a three-run homer in the third inning and a two-run homer in the sixth. He's now homered in back-to-back games and has four in his last four games. It's the first multi-homer game for a Bearcat since JP Sponseller hit three on March 5 against Northwestern.
- The redshirt junior outfielder leads the AAC with 13 home runs and now ranks second in RBIs with 36 after a career-high five tonight. He increased his AAC-leading slugging percentage to .800.
- Redshirt sophomore catcher Joe Powell hit a two-run double in the sixth inning and ended the night 2-for-4. He increased his batting average to .375 and slugging percentage to .750.
- Redshirt freshman infielder Kerrington Cross finished the game 2-for-5 with a run scored. He also stole two bases, giving him a team-high nine on the season.
- Both Powell and Cross extended their on-base streaks to 19 games.
- Sophomore pitcher Conner Linn notched his third quality start and third win of the season today. The lefty went six innings, allowed three runs and struck out four.
- With his RBI single in the sixth inning, redshirt junior infielder Wyatt Stapp delivered a hit in his seventh-straight game.
- Sophomore pitcher Max Bergmann earned his first save of the season after throwing 1.2 shutout innings and striking out three.
- Cincinnati pitchers limited Wichita State to just 3-for-15 (.200) with runners in scoring position.
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