TicketsPROVO, Utah – The University of Cincinnati baseball team scored seven unanswered runs, including four in the ninth inning, to defeat BYU by a score of 9-5 on Thursday night.
Kerrington Cross led off the game with a home run to give the Bearcats (28-21, 14-11 Big 12) the lead, but the Cougars (19-27, 6-19 Big 12)) answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. UC remained behind until the eighth inning when Cross' two-run single tied the game at 5-5.
Cincinnati then scored four runs in the ninth to not only take the lead, but blow it open a bit after trailing nearly the entire night. Max Palmieri's RBI triple brought in the go-ahead run, which proved to open the floodgates in the final inning.
Cross drove in three runs on Thursday night and was one of five Bearcats with a multi-hit day. Josh Kross had a couple extra-base hits, including his 15th home run of the season which puts him in a tie for eighth place on UC's single-season home run list.
Josh Hegemann went 2-for-3 with a couple walks and two runs scored, and Landyn Vidourek had a 2-for-4 day with a triple and a home run. Christian Mitchelle had two hits as well.
In total, UC had seven extra-base hits in the opener at BYU, its highest total in a conference game this season.
Carson Marsh earned the win with a terrific outing, striking out five over the final two innings. Seth Logue made the start on the mound and struck out three in five innings of work, and Griffin Hugus struck out three in two innings of the bullpen.
Game two is set for Friday night at 8 PM ET.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Kerrington Cross led off the game with a home run to set the tone early and give the Bearcats the lead.
The lead didn't last long though as BYU scored three in the bottom of the first. An RBI double tied the game and Brock Watkins' two-run homer gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead.
After a couple scoreless innings for each team, Landyn Vidourek put the Bearcats within a run with a long home run to center field. Facing a 2-1 count, Vidourek absolutely crushed one to straightaway center to put the score at 3-2.
Vidourek put himself in the middle of the action again in the bottom of the sixth, robbing a home run for the second out of the inning. His spectacular defensive play only delayed the Cougars however, who extended their lead with a two-run home run to make it a 5-2 ballgame.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Josh Kross smoked a solo homer to center field to cut the deficit to two and make it 5-3. The Bearcats fought back to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the eighth on a two-run single by Cross. With the bases loaded, Cross ripped a 1-2 pitch up the middle that scored Christian Mitchelle and Josh Hegemann easily.
Carson Marsh threw a scoreless eighth inning out of the bullpen, and then Max Palmieri's RBI triple in the top of the ninth gave UC a 6-5 advantage. He hit one deep into right field that scored the pinch runner Dalton Pearson easily and gave the Bearcats their first lead since the first inning. Hegemann added to the lead with an RBI single in the next at-bat to make it 7-5, then Mitchelle's RBI double and Vidourek's RBI triple added to the total. The final score settled at 9-5.
// 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.
Kerrington Cross led off the game with a home run to give the Bearcats (28-21, 14-11 Big 12) the lead, but the Cougars (19-27, 6-19 Big 12)) answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. UC remained behind until the eighth inning when Cross' two-run single tied the game at 5-5.
Cincinnati then scored four runs in the ninth to not only take the lead, but blow it open a bit after trailing nearly the entire night. Max Palmieri's RBI triple brought in the go-ahead run, which proved to open the floodgates in the final inning.
Cross drove in three runs on Thursday night and was one of five Bearcats with a multi-hit day. Josh Kross had a couple extra-base hits, including his 15th home run of the season which puts him in a tie for eighth place on UC's single-season home run list.
Josh Hegemann went 2-for-3 with a couple walks and two runs scored, and Landyn Vidourek had a 2-for-4 day with a triple and a home run. Christian Mitchelle had two hits as well.
In total, UC had seven extra-base hits in the opener at BYU, its highest total in a conference game this season.
Carson Marsh earned the win with a terrific outing, striking out five over the final two innings. Seth Logue made the start on the mound and struck out three in five innings of work, and Griffin Hugus struck out three in two innings of the bullpen.
Game two is set for Friday night at 8 PM ET.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Kerrington Cross led off the game with a home run to set the tone early and give the Bearcats the lead.
The lead didn't last long though as BYU scored three in the bottom of the first. An RBI double tied the game and Brock Watkins' two-run homer gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead.
After a couple scoreless innings for each team, Landyn Vidourek put the Bearcats within a run with a long home run to center field. Facing a 2-1 count, Vidourek absolutely crushed one to straightaway center to put the score at 3-2.
Vidourek put himself in the middle of the action again in the bottom of the sixth, robbing a home run for the second out of the inning. His spectacular defensive play only delayed the Cougars however, who extended their lead with a two-run home run to make it a 5-2 ballgame.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Josh Kross smoked a solo homer to center field to cut the deficit to two and make it 5-3. The Bearcats fought back to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the eighth on a two-run single by Cross. With the bases loaded, Cross ripped a 1-2 pitch up the middle that scored Christian Mitchelle and Josh Hegemann easily.
Carson Marsh threw a scoreless eighth inning out of the bullpen, and then Max Palmieri's RBI triple in the top of the ninth gave UC a 6-5 advantage. He hit one deep into right field that scored the pinch runner Dalton Pearson easily and gave the Bearcats their first lead since the first inning. Hegemann added to the lead with an RBI single in the next at-bat to make it 7-5, then Mitchelle's RBI double and Vidourek's RBI triple added to the total. The final score settled at 9-5.
// 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.