TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team opened a five-game homestand with a 12-11 loss to Western Illinois on Tuesday.
For the second straight game, UC took part in a marathon, back-and-forth affair but wound up on the wrong end of a one-run decision.
From the bottom of the first through the top of the fifth, every half-inning saw at least one run cross the plate, and multiple runs were scored in seven of the first nine half-innings. Both offenses slowed down after that, with just two combined runs crossing the plate in the final half of the game.
With the game tied at 11-11, Western Illinois scored in the top of the ninth to take a one-run lead. UC loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't get anybody home.
Kameron Guidry went 2-for-4 at the plate and had two home runs, his second straight game with two homers. He slugged a two-run shot in the bottom of the third and did it again in the fourth.
Josh Kross also homered, his three-run dinger in the bottom of the first bringing his season total to five. Kerrington Cross went 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits, two doubles and a triple, and stole two bases as well. Tommy O'Connor was 1-for-3 with two walks and two RBI, pushing his on-base streak to 32 games dating back to last season.
UC has now totaled double-digit runs in three straight games, the first time it has achieved that feat since 2021.
The Bearcats and Leathernecks will face off again on Wednesday at 1 PM.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Josh Kross opened the scoring with a three-run homer to give UC a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Tommy O'Connor reached base on a double and Josh Hegemann walked, and both jogged home on Kross' long ball that sailed over the right field fence.
Not to be outdone, Western Illinois scored four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-3 lead. The lead didn't last long as Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead at 5-4. Kerrington Cross doubled into the gap in left-center field to bring in Alec Jones, and later scored easily on O'Connor's sac fly.
Western Illinois led off the top of the third with a home run, sparking a four-run innings that made it 8-5. Kameron Guidry hit his first home run of the night in the bottom of the third and Cross scored on a fielder's choice to once again tie the score at 8-8.
The offensive barrage continued as WIU scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth, but Guidry's second dinger of the game gave UC a 10-9 lead after four innings. Two RBI singles for the Leathernecks gave them an 11-10 advantage in the top of the fifth, and that would hold as the score until the bottom of the seventh. Cross tripled to put himself 90 feet away from home, and sure enough he scored on O'Connor's ground ball to second base to put the score at 11-11.
In the top of the ninth, Western Illinois' first two hitters of the inning reached base and shortly after a base hit into right field brought in the go-ahead run, putting the Bearcats in a 12-11 hole. They had a chance to do damage in the bottom of the ninth as the first three batters of the inning reached to load the bases, but the Leathernecks closed it out to hold on to win.
// 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.
For the second straight game, UC took part in a marathon, back-and-forth affair but wound up on the wrong end of a one-run decision.
From the bottom of the first through the top of the fifth, every half-inning saw at least one run cross the plate, and multiple runs were scored in seven of the first nine half-innings. Both offenses slowed down after that, with just two combined runs crossing the plate in the final half of the game.
With the game tied at 11-11, Western Illinois scored in the top of the ninth to take a one-run lead. UC loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't get anybody home.
Kameron Guidry went 2-for-4 at the plate and had two home runs, his second straight game with two homers. He slugged a two-run shot in the bottom of the third and did it again in the fourth.
Josh Kross also homered, his three-run dinger in the bottom of the first bringing his season total to five. Kerrington Cross went 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits, two doubles and a triple, and stole two bases as well. Tommy O'Connor was 1-for-3 with two walks and two RBI, pushing his on-base streak to 32 games dating back to last season.
UC has now totaled double-digit runs in three straight games, the first time it has achieved that feat since 2021.
The Bearcats and Leathernecks will face off again on Wednesday at 1 PM.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Josh Kross opened the scoring with a three-run homer to give UC a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Tommy O'Connor reached base on a double and Josh Hegemann walked, and both jogged home on Kross' long ball that sailed over the right field fence.
Not to be outdone, Western Illinois scored four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-3 lead. The lead didn't last long as Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead at 5-4. Kerrington Cross doubled into the gap in left-center field to bring in Alec Jones, and later scored easily on O'Connor's sac fly.
Western Illinois led off the top of the third with a home run, sparking a four-run innings that made it 8-5. Kameron Guidry hit his first home run of the night in the bottom of the third and Cross scored on a fielder's choice to once again tie the score at 8-8.
The offensive barrage continued as WIU scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth, but Guidry's second dinger of the game gave UC a 10-9 lead after four innings. Two RBI singles for the Leathernecks gave them an 11-10 advantage in the top of the fifth, and that would hold as the score until the bottom of the seventh. Cross tripled to put himself 90 feet away from home, and sure enough he scored on O'Connor's ground ball to second base to put the score at 11-11.
In the top of the ninth, Western Illinois' first two hitters of the inning reached base and shortly after a base hit into right field brought in the go-ahead run, putting the Bearcats in a 12-11 hole. They had a chance to do damage in the bottom of the ninth as the first three batters of the inning reached to load the bases, but the Leathernecks closed it out to hold on to win.
// 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.