TicketsCLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team fell to UCF, 4-3, on a walk-off home run in the opening round of the 2023 American Athletic Conference Championship on Tuesday morning inside BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla.
Cincinnati (24-32) rallied with a two-run home run off the bat of Ryan Nicholson to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the ninth, but a solo home run gave UCF the win.
The Bearcats will face the loser of No. 1 seed ECU and No. 8 seed USF at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Redshirt junior right-hander Chase Hopewell made his 15th start of the season and allowed three runs on three hits and struck out three batters with one walk in 4.0 innings.
Freshman Chase Horst came out of the bullpen in the fifth and tossed 4.0 shutout innings in relief before giving up the walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. He surrendered five hits and struck out one batter with one walk.
Nicholson's two-run shot to right field was his team-leading 16th home run of the season and 33rd of his career. Sophomore Sean Springer went 2-for-3 at the plate with his first career triple and one run scored.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Hopewell made quick work of the first inning as he retired the side in order. The Knights had a runner on third with one out in the bottom of the second, but Hopewell recorded two outs to end the threat.
UCF got on the board in the bottom of the third with two runs on one hit. The Bearcats had a baserunner in three consecutive innings but were unable to capitalize as UCF padded its lead on an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-0.
Horst came out of the bullpen in the fifth and shoved back-to-back scoreless frames to bring the Bearcats up to the plate in the top of the seventh. Alec Jones drew a one-out walk and Tommy O'Connor singled through the left side, but the Knights induced a double play to end the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Springer greeted the new hurler with a one-out triple to right field – the first of his career. He raced home on an RBI groundout from Griffin Hugus for the Bearcats' first run of the game.
Kerrington Cross started the ninth-inning rally with a lead-off walk. Nicholson then stepped into the batter's box and belted a two-run shot to tie the ballgame at 3-3. He smashed a 1-1 fastball 396 feet over the right field wall at 107 mph off the bat for his 16th homer of the year.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, UCF's Andrew Brait hit a solo home run to give the Knights the 4-3 victory.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati will face the loser of No. 1 seed ECU and No. 8 seed USF at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Cincinnati (24-32) rallied with a two-run home run off the bat of Ryan Nicholson to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the ninth, but a solo home run gave UCF the win.
The Bearcats will face the loser of No. 1 seed ECU and No. 8 seed USF at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Redshirt junior right-hander Chase Hopewell made his 15th start of the season and allowed three runs on three hits and struck out three batters with one walk in 4.0 innings.
Freshman Chase Horst came out of the bullpen in the fifth and tossed 4.0 shutout innings in relief before giving up the walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. He surrendered five hits and struck out one batter with one walk.
Nicholson's two-run shot to right field was his team-leading 16th home run of the season and 33rd of his career. Sophomore Sean Springer went 2-for-3 at the plate with his first career triple and one run scored.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Hopewell made quick work of the first inning as he retired the side in order. The Knights had a runner on third with one out in the bottom of the second, but Hopewell recorded two outs to end the threat.
UCF got on the board in the bottom of the third with two runs on one hit. The Bearcats had a baserunner in three consecutive innings but were unable to capitalize as UCF padded its lead on an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-0.
Horst came out of the bullpen in the fifth and shoved back-to-back scoreless frames to bring the Bearcats up to the plate in the top of the seventh. Alec Jones drew a one-out walk and Tommy O'Connor singled through the left side, but the Knights induced a double play to end the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Springer greeted the new hurler with a one-out triple to right field – the first of his career. He raced home on an RBI groundout from Griffin Hugus for the Bearcats' first run of the game.
Kerrington Cross started the ninth-inning rally with a lead-off walk. Nicholson then stepped into the batter's box and belted a two-run shot to tie the ballgame at 3-3. He smashed a 1-1 fastball 396 feet over the right field wall at 107 mph off the bat for his 16th homer of the year.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, UCF's Andrew Brait hit a solo home run to give the Knights the 4-3 victory.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati will face the loser of No. 1 seed ECU and No. 8 seed USF at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.