TicketsCLEARWATER, Fla. -- Redshirt junior outfielder Griffin Merritt put together a brilliant outing at the plate Tuesday, hitting two home runs to help power the Cincinnati Bearcats over the Tulane Green Wave, 8-1, in game one of the AAC tournament.
Senior pitcher Beau Keathley (5-3) got the win for Cincinnati (24-29). The right-hander threw a complete game, giving up one run on six hits, allowing one walk and striking out four.
Merritt went 3-for-4 at the plate, supplementing his two home runs with a double while driving in five runs. Sophomore outfielder Cole Harting added to Merritt's awesome power-hitting performance by going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Redshirt senior infielder Wyatt Stapp also helped out for the Bearcats, going 1-for-2 with two walks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the bottom the first inning with the game still scoreless. Cincinnati got on the board thanks to Merritt's RBI double with two outs.
The Bearcats then held the Green Wave scoreless before expanding their lead in the fifth inning. The Cincinnati offense exploded for five runs, highlighted by a two-run home run off the bat of Merritt and a two-run double from Harting, which brought the Bearcats lead to 6-0.
Tulane narrowed Cincinnati's lead to 6-1 before the Bearcats stretched the advantage to 8-1 in the seventh inning. The Bearcats added two to their tally on Merritt's two-run homer to left. The score remained 8-1 for the rest of the game, as Cincinnati coasted to the win.
GAME NOTES
- Fresh off being named the 2022 AAC Player of the Year, Merritt got going early, driving in Harting with an RBI double in the first. He followed that up with a two-run homer in the fifth and another two-run blast in the seventh. He now has an AAC-leading 19 home runs, which ties him with former Bearcat Kevin Youkilis for the third-most home runs in a single season in UC history. The 19 homers also give him sole possession of third place in AAC history for home runs in a single season.
- Harting went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. He now has eight RBIs in his last four games. He scored his 100th career run today.
- Senior pitcher Beau Keathley went the distance, throwing his second nine-inning complete game of the season. He is now 5-3 on the year and leads the conference with three total complete games.
- UC has now beat Tulane nine out of the last 10 times they've played.
- The Bearcats advance and will face the winner of No. 1 ECU and No. 8 USF on Thursday, May 26 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change due to weather. All schedule changes will be announced on Twitter at @GoBearcatsBASE.