Cincinnati Drops Series Opener to No. 9 ECU

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team fell to No. 9-ranked ECU, 9-4, on Friday night inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. 

Redshirt junior Ryan Nicholson finished 1-for-4 with his team-leading ninth home run of the season – a two-run shot to center field. Sophomore two-way player Tommy O'Connor went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the fourth. It marked back-to-back games where O'Connor and Nicholson homered. 

Redshirt junior Alec Jones added his fourth home run of the year with a solo shot in the eighth. His finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk. Three of the Bearcats' four hits were home runs. 

Sophomore pitcher Garrett Harker was a bright spot out of the bullpen. He allowed just one run on four hits and struck out five batters with one walk in 4.1 innings in relief. Freshman starter Griffin Hugus (1-1) took the loss for the Bearcats.

// HOW IT HAPPENED 
Cincinnati fell behind early when ECU hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first against Hugus. The Pirates capitalized on a wild pitch and throwing error to plate another two runs in the second.

O'Connor put the Bearcats on the board with his second home run in as many games with a solo shot down the right field line in the top of the fourth. ECU responded with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead back to five. 

Kerrington Cross drew a pinch-hit, lead-off walk to bring Nicholson up to bat in the top of the sixth. The redshirt junior slugger belted a two-run homer over the center field wall to make it 6-3. 

Redshirt junior pitcher Alex Shea needed only 12 pitches to retire the side in order in the bottom of the seventh. Jones homered to left field to cut the Bearcats' deficit to two in the top of the eighth, but the Pirates responded with a three-run shot in the home half to account for the 9-4 final score.  

// UP NEXT 
Cincinnati and ECU will play the middle game of the series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. at Clark-LeClair Stadium.