TicketsARLINGTON, TEXAS – The University of Cincinnati baseball team staved off elimination at the Big 12 Championship on Wednesday with an 8-7 win against No. 3 seed Texas at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The Bearcats will face the loser of Wednesday's game between No. 2 seed Oklahoma State and No. 10 seed Texas Tech on Thursday at 5 PM ET/4 PM CT. The win also eliminated the Longhorns, who were beaten by Texas Tech on Tuesday night.
Cincinnati led for much of Wednesday's game and only trailed when Texas plated three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Landyn Vidourek's two-run single in the top of the sixth gave UC a 4-3 advantage, and a mammoth three-run home run off the bat of Kerrington Cross put the Bearcats ahead 7-3 in the eighth inning. A Texas error led to another run in the eighth to put Cincinnati's lead at 8-3.
Texas didn't go down without a fight, scoring four in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 8-7. Christian Mitchelle allowed a leadoff single in the ninth but stood tall to record the final three outs and finish off the Longhorns.
The win was UC's second against a ranked opponent this season. Texas was No. 24 in the latest D1Baseball Top 25 poll.
Cross was 3-for-4 at the plate with the home run, and walked and stole a base as well. He was one of four Bearcats to record a multi-hit effort as Josh Kross, Hunter Jessee, and Mitchelle all had two hits apiece.
On the mound, Carson Marsh earned the win with 2.2 stellar innings out of the bullpen. The freshman struck out four and did not allow a run, letting just one Longhorn baserunner reach during his outing.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats struck first, scoring a run in their first trip to the plate to take a 1-0 lead. With runners at the corners, Christian Mitchelle ripped a single through the left side that scored Lauden Brooks easily for the first run of the game.
Another run came in to score on a bases-loaded ground ball that turned into a double play, but gave UC a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Tommy Boba had kept Texas out of the hit column until a leadoff single in the bottom half of the inning, then Big 12 Player of the Year Max Belyeu tied the game with a two-run home run three pitches later. An RBI double later in the inning gave Texas a 3-2 lead, but Carson Marsh entered the game with the bases loaded and one out and proceeded to strike out the next two batters to get the Bearcats out of trouble without any further damage.
UC reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth. With runners on second and third and two outs, Landyn Vidourek singled through the left side to bring home Josh Hegemann and Tommy O'Connor and put the score at 4-3.
Carson Marsh's outing kept Cincinnati's deficit at one run and kept the game within reach. The freshman right-hander entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fourth and got UC out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. He pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning and stranded a runner on third to end the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the eighth, Kerrington Cross hit one of the biggest home runs of the season for Cincinnati. Tommy O'Connor and Alec Jones walked to open the inning, then Cross demolished the first pitch he saw for a huge three-run homer that put the score at 7-3. Later in the inning Josh Kross scored on a Texas throwing error to make it 8-3.
The Longhorns responded in the bottom half of the eighth, scoring four runs to pull within a run, 8-7.Mitchelle responded by pitching a scoreless bottom of the ninth to seal the win and eliminate the Longhorns in their final Big 12 Championship appearance.
// 2024 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 21
Game 1 – No. 7 Kansas 2, No. 6 Kansas State 1
Game 2 – No. 9 TCU 4, No. 4 West Virginia 2
Game 3 – No. 8 UCF 6, No. 5 Cincinnati 5 (11 innings)
Game 4 – No. 10 Texas Tech 6, No. 3 Texas 4
Wednesday, May 22
Game 5 – No. 6 Kansas State 8, No. 4 West Virginia 4
Game 6 – No. 1 Oklahoma 4, No. 9 TCU 0
Game 7 – No. 5 Cincinnati 8, No. 3 Texas 7
Game 8 – No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Texas Tech – 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Thursday, May 23
Game 9 – No. 6 Kansas State vs. No. 9 TCU – 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 10 – No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Kansas – 12:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 11 – No. 5 Cincinnati vs. Game 8 Loser – 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Game 12 – Game 8 Winner vs. No. 8 UCF – 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Friday, May 24
Game 13 – Game 10 Loser vs. Game 9 Winner – 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 14 – Game 10 Winner vs. Game 13 Winner (semifinal) – 12:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 15 – Game 12 Loser vs. Game 11 Winner – 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 16 – Game 12 Winner vs. Game 15 Winner (semifinal) -7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Saturday, May 25
Game 17 – Championship Game – 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET – ESPNU
// 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 will face the loser of Wednesday's game between No. 2 seed Oklahoma State and No. 10 seed Texas Tech on Thursday at 5 PM ET/4 PM CT. The win also eliminated the Longhorns, who were beaten by Texas Tech on Tuesday night.
Cincinnati led for much of Wednesday's game and only trailed when Texas plated three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Landyn Vidourek's two-run single in the top of the sixth gave UC a 4-3 advantage, and a mammoth three-run home run off the bat of Kerrington Cross put the Bearcats ahead 7-3 in the eighth inning. A Texas error led to another run in the eighth to put Cincinnati's lead at 8-3.
Texas didn't go down without a fight, scoring four in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 8-7. Christian Mitchelle allowed a leadoff single in the ninth but stood tall to record the final three outs and finish off the Longhorns.
The win was UC's second against a ranked opponent this season. Texas was No. 24 in the latest D1Baseball Top 25 poll.
Cross was 3-for-4 at the plate with the home run, and walked and stole a base as well. He was one of four Bearcats to record a multi-hit effort as Josh Kross, Hunter Jessee, and Mitchelle all had two hits apiece.
On the mound, Carson Marsh earned the win with 2.2 stellar innings out of the bullpen. The freshman struck out four and did not allow a run, letting just one Longhorn baserunner reach during his outing.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats struck first, scoring a run in their first trip to the plate to take a 1-0 lead. With runners at the corners, Christian Mitchelle ripped a single through the left side that scored Lauden Brooks easily for the first run of the game.
Another run came in to score on a bases-loaded ground ball that turned into a double play, but gave UC a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Tommy Boba had kept Texas out of the hit column until a leadoff single in the bottom half of the inning, then Big 12 Player of the Year Max Belyeu tied the game with a two-run home run three pitches later. An RBI double later in the inning gave Texas a 3-2 lead, but Carson Marsh entered the game with the bases loaded and one out and proceeded to strike out the next two batters to get the Bearcats out of trouble without any further damage.
UC reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth. With runners on second and third and two outs, Landyn Vidourek singled through the left side to bring home Josh Hegemann and Tommy O'Connor and put the score at 4-3.
Carson Marsh's outing kept Cincinnati's deficit at one run and kept the game within reach. The freshman right-hander entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fourth and got UC out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. He pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning and stranded a runner on third to end the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the eighth, Kerrington Cross hit one of the biggest home runs of the season for Cincinnati. Tommy O'Connor and Alec Jones walked to open the inning, then Cross demolished the first pitch he saw for a huge three-run homer that put the score at 7-3. Later in the inning Josh Kross scored on a Texas throwing error to make it 8-3.
The Longhorns responded in the bottom half of the eighth, scoring four runs to pull within a run, 8-7.Mitchelle responded by pitching a scoreless bottom of the ninth to seal the win and eliminate the Longhorns in their final Big 12 Championship appearance.
// 2024 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 21
Game 1 – No. 7 Kansas 2, No. 6 Kansas State 1
Game 2 – No. 9 TCU 4, No. 4 West Virginia 2
Game 3 – No. 8 UCF 6, No. 5 Cincinnati 5 (11 innings)
Game 4 – No. 10 Texas Tech 6, No. 3 Texas 4
Wednesday, May 22
Game 5 – No. 6 Kansas State 8, No. 4 West Virginia 4
Game 6 – No. 1 Oklahoma 4, No. 9 TCU 0
Game 7 – No. 5 Cincinnati 8, No. 3 Texas 7
Game 8 – No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Texas Tech – 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Thursday, May 23
Game 9 – No. 6 Kansas State vs. No. 9 TCU – 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 10 – No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Kansas – 12:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 11 – No. 5 Cincinnati vs. Game 8 Loser – 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Game 12 – Game 8 Winner vs. No. 8 UCF – 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Friday, May 24
Game 13 – Game 10 Loser vs. Game 9 Winner – 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 14 – Game 10 Winner vs. Game 13 Winner (semifinal) – 12:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 15 – Game 12 Loser vs. Game 11 Winner – 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Game 16 – Game 12 Winner vs. Game 15 Winner (semifinal) -7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET – Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Saturday, May 25
Game 17 – Championship Game – 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET – ESPNU
// 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.