TicketsCINCINNATI – Opening a five-game homestand, the University of Cincinnati baseball team trounced Eastern Kentucky by a score of 12-2 in a run-rule victory at UC Baseball Stadium.
The Bearcats (21-16) led from the jump after scoring five runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back. They scored in all but two innings on Tuesday and won on a Kerrington Cross RBI single in the bottom of
the eighth inning, clinching their third run-rule win of the year.
Cross reached base three times and drove in two runs on Tuesday. UC's prodigious sluggers, Josh Kross and Tommy O'Connor, both homered and tallied three RBI apiece, contributing half of the Bearcats' run production. Josh Hegemann went 3-for-5 and scored twice hitting out of the two-hole, and Landyn Vidourek reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with two walks and a couple RBI.
The Bearcats did a good job working the count, drawing nine walks while striking out just four times.
Three pitchers saw time on the mound on Tuesday. Bradley Coulter struck out five in his fourth start of the year, and Michael Conte and Will Murphy combined to throw 4.1 scoreless frames. Conte earned the win with 3.1 shutout innings, striking out four.
Cincinnati returns home on Wednesday to host Xavier at 5 PM before welcoming Houston for a Big 12 series this weekend.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Bradley Coulter wiggled his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first and was rewarded with a five-run first inning by the Bearcat bats. Josh Kross drove in the first three runs of the game with a home run to center field, and Landyn Vidourek made it 5-0 with a two-run double deep into the right-center field gap. Tommy O'Connor lined a base hit up the middle in the bottom of the second to bring home a run and increase the lead to 6-0.
The Colonels got on the board with a two-run top of the fourth, but O'Connor got UC those runs back with a two-run bomb in the bottom half of the fourth. Michael Conte, who entered the game in the top of the fourth, recorded two strikeouts in the fifth and two in the sixth to shut down the EKU offense. Josh Hegemann's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth extended the lead to 9-2.
Cincinnati scored two more runs in the sixth to make it 11-2, plating both runs with two outs. O'Connor scored on what should have been an inning-ending ground ball but was misplayed by the EKU fielder, and in the next at-bat Kerrington Cross drew a bases-loaded walk.
Conte pitched another scoreless inning in the seventh and Will Murphy entered the game in the top of the eighth and sent down the Eastern Kentucky hitters in order to keep the score at 11-2.
With runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth, Cross launched a fly ball deep to center field that scored Kameron Guidry easily and brought the score to 12-2, enacting the run rule and ending the game.
// TICKET INFORMATION
To purchase Cincinnati baseball 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.
The Bearcats (21-16) led from the jump after scoring five runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back. They scored in all but two innings on Tuesday and won on a Kerrington Cross RBI single in the bottom of
the eighth inning, clinching their third run-rule win of the year.
Cross reached base three times and drove in two runs on Tuesday. UC's prodigious sluggers, Josh Kross and Tommy O'Connor, both homered and tallied three RBI apiece, contributing half of the Bearcats' run production. Josh Hegemann went 3-for-5 and scored twice hitting out of the two-hole, and Landyn Vidourek reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with two walks and a couple RBI.
The Bearcats did a good job working the count, drawing nine walks while striking out just four times.
Three pitchers saw time on the mound on Tuesday. Bradley Coulter struck out five in his fourth start of the year, and Michael Conte and Will Murphy combined to throw 4.1 scoreless frames. Conte earned the win with 3.1 shutout innings, striking out four.
Cincinnati returns home on Wednesday to host Xavier at 5 PM before welcoming Houston for a Big 12 series this weekend.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Bradley Coulter wiggled his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first and was rewarded with a five-run first inning by the Bearcat bats. Josh Kross drove in the first three runs of the game with a home run to center field, and Landyn Vidourek made it 5-0 with a two-run double deep into the right-center field gap. Tommy O'Connor lined a base hit up the middle in the bottom of the second to bring home a run and increase the lead to 6-0.
The Colonels got on the board with a two-run top of the fourth, but O'Connor got UC those runs back with a two-run bomb in the bottom half of the fourth. Michael Conte, who entered the game in the top of the fourth, recorded two strikeouts in the fifth and two in the sixth to shut down the EKU offense. Josh Hegemann's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth extended the lead to 9-2.
Cincinnati scored two more runs in the sixth to make it 11-2, plating both runs with two outs. O'Connor scored on what should have been an inning-ending ground ball but was misplayed by the EKU fielder, and in the next at-bat Kerrington Cross drew a bases-loaded walk.
Conte pitched another scoreless inning in the seventh and Will Murphy entered the game in the top of the eighth and sent down the Eastern Kentucky hitters in order to keep the score at 11-2.
With runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth, Cross launched a fly ball deep to center field that scored Kameron Guidry easily and brought the score to 12-2, enacting the run rule and ending the game.
// TICKET INFORMATION
To purchase Cincinnati baseball 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.