TicketsMASON, Ohio – The University of Cincinnati baseball team faced crosstown rival Xavier on Tuesday night at Prasco Park in Mason for the Joe Nuxhall Classic and came away with a 5-2 victory.
Cincinnati (20-13) grabbed the lead in the first inning and didn't look back, manufacturing runs throughout the game while keeping the Musketeers (15-17) off the scoreboard until the eighth inning. The Bearcats held on over the final two innings to claim the win and even the season series with their rival.
Brenden Garula, Carson Marsh, Chase Horst, and Christian Mitchelle all pitched on Tuesday and combined for a solid pitching effort, tallying nine strikeouts amongst them while walking just two. Marsh had the best night of the bunch, striking out six in 4.0 scoreless frames. It was the longest outing of the year for the freshman pitcher, and he tied his season-high in strikeouts.
Mitchelle earned his fourth save of the year after posting scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
Josh Kross had half of UC's hits, going 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored. Josh Hegemann had a productive night in the batter's box as well, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances by tallying a hit, three walks, and getting hit by a pitch.
Dalton Pearson drove in two of Cincinnati's five runs, his fifth multi-RBI performance of the year.
Following Tuesday's game, Cincinnati will visit Oklahoma State for a three-game conference series this weekend.
UC (20-13, 7-5 Big 12) and OSU (21-11, 7-5 Big 12) are two of four teams locked in a tie for third place in the Big 12 standings and sit one game back of West Virginia (19-12, 8-4 Big 12) and Oklahoma (17-14, 8-4 Big 12) for first place. Kansas State (20-10, 7-5 Big 12) and Texas (19-13, 7-5 Big 12) are also locked in a tie for third.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati wasted no time in grabbing an early lead, scoring two runs in the top of the first. RBI singles from Josh Kross and Luke Sefcik put UC up 2-0 before Xavier had a chance to bat.
The Bearcats would add two more runs in the fourth to increase their lead to 4-0. Josh Hegemann scored on a fielder's choice for the first run of the inning and Lauden Brooks drove in the second run on a sac fly.
While UC was manufacturing runs at the plate, Brenden Garula and Carson Marsh were carving up Xavier hitters on the mound. Garula pitched a scoreless first inning before being relieved by Marsh, who dispatched hitter after hitter in the Musketeers' lineup. The freshman hurler tossed four scoreless innings and struck out six while allowing just one hit.
Chase Horst entered the game to pitch in the bottom of the sixth and picked up where his teammates left off, retiring the Musketeers in order. Dalton Pearson then drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to add to the lead and make it 5-0. Another scoreless frame in the seventh for Horst maintained the five-run lead.
Xavier got on the scoreboard with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-2, but Christian Mitchelle entered the game kept the lead at three. He then shut down the Musketeers in the bottom of the ninth to wrap up the win and earn the save.
// 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.
Cincinnati (20-13) grabbed the lead in the first inning and didn't look back, manufacturing runs throughout the game while keeping the Musketeers (15-17) off the scoreboard until the eighth inning. The Bearcats held on over the final two innings to claim the win and even the season series with their rival.
Brenden Garula, Carson Marsh, Chase Horst, and Christian Mitchelle all pitched on Tuesday and combined for a solid pitching effort, tallying nine strikeouts amongst them while walking just two. Marsh had the best night of the bunch, striking out six in 4.0 scoreless frames. It was the longest outing of the year for the freshman pitcher, and he tied his season-high in strikeouts.
Mitchelle earned his fourth save of the year after posting scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
Josh Kross had half of UC's hits, going 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored. Josh Hegemann had a productive night in the batter's box as well, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances by tallying a hit, three walks, and getting hit by a pitch.
Dalton Pearson drove in two of Cincinnati's five runs, his fifth multi-RBI performance of the year.
Following Tuesday's game, Cincinnati will visit Oklahoma State for a three-game conference series this weekend.
UC (20-13, 7-5 Big 12) and OSU (21-11, 7-5 Big 12) are two of four teams locked in a tie for third place in the Big 12 standings and sit one game back of West Virginia (19-12, 8-4 Big 12) and Oklahoma (17-14, 8-4 Big 12) for first place. Kansas State (20-10, 7-5 Big 12) and Texas (19-13, 7-5 Big 12) are also locked in a tie for third.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati wasted no time in grabbing an early lead, scoring two runs in the top of the first. RBI singles from Josh Kross and Luke Sefcik put UC up 2-0 before Xavier had a chance to bat.
The Bearcats would add two more runs in the fourth to increase their lead to 4-0. Josh Hegemann scored on a fielder's choice for the first run of the inning and Lauden Brooks drove in the second run on a sac fly.
While UC was manufacturing runs at the plate, Brenden Garula and Carson Marsh were carving up Xavier hitters on the mound. Garula pitched a scoreless first inning before being relieved by Marsh, who dispatched hitter after hitter in the Musketeers' lineup. The freshman hurler tossed four scoreless innings and struck out six while allowing just one hit.
Chase Horst entered the game to pitch in the bottom of the sixth and picked up where his teammates left off, retiring the Musketeers in order. Dalton Pearson then drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to add to the lead and make it 5-0. Another scoreless frame in the seventh for Horst maintained the five-run lead.
Xavier got on the scoreboard with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-2, but Christian Mitchelle entered the game kept the lead at three. He then shut down the Musketeers in the bottom of the ninth to wrap up the win and earn the save.
// 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.