TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team pounded out a season-high 14 hits and scored 15 runs to propel the Bearcats to a 15-5 run-rule victory in eight innings against Butler on Saturday afternoon inside UC Baseball Stadium.
Redshirt junior catcher Alec Jones went 3-for-5 with a career-high five RBI to go along with three runs scored. He belted a three-run homer to right field in the first inning.
Redshirt junior Ryan Nicholson finished 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored. He hit his team-leading sixth home run of the year in the sixth.
Redshirt junior Kameron Guidry went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. He provided the walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
Five Bearcats recorded two-or-more hits in the victory.
Redshirt junior starter Chase Hopewell (1-1) picked up his first win as a Bearcat. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five batters with two walks over five innings.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Hopewell struck out the side to start the game. With the Bearcats up to bat, Nicholson notched a two-out single to right center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Cole Harting drew a 12-pitch walk to bring up Jones, who launched the first pitch he saw over the right field wall. The three-run shot was his third home run of the season.
The Bulldogs responded with two runs on a pair of singles in the top of the second. Butler loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, but Hopewell got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to keep it at 3-2.
Harting led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to right field – his fourth round-tripper of the year. Jones drew a four-pitch walk and Guidry drilled a single to right field. The pair advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Lauden Brooks. Jones then raced home on a passed ball while Guidry scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-2.
The Bulldogs got a run back on an RBI single in the top of the fifth, but the Bearcats quickly responded in the home half of the inning. Landyn Vidourek led off with an infield single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a fly out. Jones delivered again for the Bearcats with an RBI single to left field to bring home Vidourek. Jones would come home to score on an RBI single to right field from Guidry to extend the lead to five, 8-3.
Butler plated two runs on three hits in the top of the sixth. Once again, the Bearcats had a response in the bottom of the frame. Josh Hegemann recorded a one-out single up the middle and came home on a single to right field from Vidourek. Nicholson then stepped into the batter's box and belted his sixth homer of the year, a two-run bomb to right field.
Junior reliever Zach Segal pitched two shutout innings to bring the Bearcats up to bat in the eighth. Cincinnati would score four runs on three hits in the bottom of the frame to run-rule Butler.
Hegemann drew a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a throwing error and scored on an RBI base hit from Kerrington Cross. Cross then stole second and advanced to third on a balk while Vidourek drew an eight-pitch walk. Nicholson, Jones and Guidry each drove in a run for the 15-5 final score.
// UP NEXT
UC and Butler will play a doubleheader on Sunday, beginning at noon. Both games will be full nine-inning contests with 40 minutes set for between games.
// TICKET INFORMATION
To purchase single-game tickets, visit GoBearcats.com/Tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX (1-877-228-7849).
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change due to weather. All schedule changes will be announced on Twitter at @GoBearcatsBASE.
Redshirt junior catcher Alec Jones went 3-for-5 with a career-high five RBI to go along with three runs scored. He belted a three-run homer to right field in the first inning.
Redshirt junior Ryan Nicholson finished 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored. He hit his team-leading sixth home run of the year in the sixth.
Redshirt junior Kameron Guidry went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. He provided the walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
Five Bearcats recorded two-or-more hits in the victory.
Redshirt junior starter Chase Hopewell (1-1) picked up his first win as a Bearcat. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five batters with two walks over five innings.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Hopewell struck out the side to start the game. With the Bearcats up to bat, Nicholson notched a two-out single to right center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Cole Harting drew a 12-pitch walk to bring up Jones, who launched the first pitch he saw over the right field wall. The three-run shot was his third home run of the season.
The Bulldogs responded with two runs on a pair of singles in the top of the second. Butler loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, but Hopewell got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to keep it at 3-2.
Harting led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to right field – his fourth round-tripper of the year. Jones drew a four-pitch walk and Guidry drilled a single to right field. The pair advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Lauden Brooks. Jones then raced home on a passed ball while Guidry scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-2.
The Bulldogs got a run back on an RBI single in the top of the fifth, but the Bearcats quickly responded in the home half of the inning. Landyn Vidourek led off with an infield single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a fly out. Jones delivered again for the Bearcats with an RBI single to left field to bring home Vidourek. Jones would come home to score on an RBI single to right field from Guidry to extend the lead to five, 8-3.
Butler plated two runs on three hits in the top of the sixth. Once again, the Bearcats had a response in the bottom of the frame. Josh Hegemann recorded a one-out single up the middle and came home on a single to right field from Vidourek. Nicholson then stepped into the batter's box and belted his sixth homer of the year, a two-run bomb to right field.
Junior reliever Zach Segal pitched two shutout innings to bring the Bearcats up to bat in the eighth. Cincinnati would score four runs on three hits in the bottom of the frame to run-rule Butler.
Hegemann drew a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a throwing error and scored on an RBI base hit from Kerrington Cross. Cross then stole second and advanced to third on a balk while Vidourek drew an eight-pitch walk. Nicholson, Jones and Guidry each drove in a run for the 15-5 final score.
// UP NEXT
UC and Butler will play a doubleheader on Sunday, beginning at noon. Both games will be full nine-inning contests with 40 minutes set for between games.
// TICKET INFORMATION
To purchase single-game tickets, visit GoBearcats.com/Tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX (1-877-228-7849).
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change due to weather. All schedule changes will be announced on Twitter at @GoBearcatsBASE.