TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team swept its doubleheader against North Alabama on Sunday afternoon at UC Baseball Stadium. The Bearcats rallied for a 2-1 walk-off win in game one and claimed game two, 8-1.
The Bearcats swept the four-game series from the Lions to improve to 6-6 on the season. It marked UC's first four-game sweep since May 20-22, 2021 against Tulane.
In game one, junior Alec Jones drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth with a single, lifting the Bearcats to a 2-1 walk-off victory. He finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI, walk and stolen base.
Senior Jackson Murphy earned the win in 2.2 innings of relief work. Junior starter Chase Hopewell went 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out four batters.
The Bearcats belted four home runs en route to an 8-1 victory in the series finale. Freshman starter Chase Horst earned his first career win in five innings of work. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out three batters.
// HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME ONE
Landyn Vidourek led off with a single to right field in the bottom of the first inning. CJ Dean drew a walk, and the pair stole second and third. Kerrington Cross picked up an RBI to bring home the first run of the game.
Hopewell then went five scoreless innings before giving up a solo home run in the top of the sixth. Murphy inherited a runner and had the bases loaded with one out. He got out of the jam with a pair of ground outs.
The Bearcats and Lions headed to extra innings with the score tied at one apiece.
Dean was hit-by-pitch to start the bottom of the eighth inning. Cross then drew a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Ryan Nicholson laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third.
Jones then drilled a single to the pitcher to drive in the winning run, lifting the Bearcats to a 2-1 walk-off victory.
// HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME TWO
The Bearcats launched back-to-back homers in the first inning. Jones continued his hot hitting with a two-out, solo shot to left field. Nicholson followed with an arena-shot home run to right center – his third homer of the season.
Lauden Brooks hit his first career home run with a solo shot to left field in the next inning, giving the Bearcats a 3-0 advantage. UNA responded with a solo home run in the top of the third, 3-1.
Cincinnati extended its advantage to six after a four-run fourth inning. With runners on second and third, Kameron Guidry drove in a run with a single up the middle.
Brooks then came home on an error at third base and Guidry raced home on a wild pitch. Jones drew a bases-loaded walk to plate a run before a ground out ended the inning.
Griffin Hugus provided an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. He belted a solo home run to center field after a nine-pitch at bat.
Four of the Bearcats' seven hits were home runs. Brooks went 2-for-3 in game two with a home run and two runs scored.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati is on the road for its next 10 games, beginning with a midweek contest at Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday, March 8.
The Bearcats swept the four-game series from the Lions to improve to 6-6 on the season. It marked UC's first four-game sweep since May 20-22, 2021 against Tulane.
In game one, junior Alec Jones drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth with a single, lifting the Bearcats to a 2-1 walk-off victory. He finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI, walk and stolen base.
Senior Jackson Murphy earned the win in 2.2 innings of relief work. Junior starter Chase Hopewell went 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out four batters.
The Bearcats belted four home runs en route to an 8-1 victory in the series finale. Freshman starter Chase Horst earned his first career win in five innings of work. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out three batters.
// HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME ONE
Landyn Vidourek led off with a single to right field in the bottom of the first inning. CJ Dean drew a walk, and the pair stole second and third. Kerrington Cross picked up an RBI to bring home the first run of the game.
Hopewell then went five scoreless innings before giving up a solo home run in the top of the sixth. Murphy inherited a runner and had the bases loaded with one out. He got out of the jam with a pair of ground outs.
The Bearcats and Lions headed to extra innings with the score tied at one apiece.
Dean was hit-by-pitch to start the bottom of the eighth inning. Cross then drew a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Ryan Nicholson laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third.
Jones then drilled a single to the pitcher to drive in the winning run, lifting the Bearcats to a 2-1 walk-off victory.
// HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME TWO
The Bearcats launched back-to-back homers in the first inning. Jones continued his hot hitting with a two-out, solo shot to left field. Nicholson followed with an arena-shot home run to right center – his third homer of the season.
Lauden Brooks hit his first career home run with a solo shot to left field in the next inning, giving the Bearcats a 3-0 advantage. UNA responded with a solo home run in the top of the third, 3-1.
Cincinnati extended its advantage to six after a four-run fourth inning. With runners on second and third, Kameron Guidry drove in a run with a single up the middle.
Brooks then came home on an error at third base and Guidry raced home on a wild pitch. Jones drew a bases-loaded walk to plate a run before a ground out ended the inning.
Griffin Hugus provided an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. He belted a solo home run to center field after a nine-pitch at bat.
Four of the Bearcats' seven hits were home runs. Brooks went 2-for-3 in game two with a home run and two runs scored.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati is on the road for its next 10 games, beginning with a midweek contest at Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday, March 8.