TicketsDURHAM, N.C. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team completed its series won at No. 11 Duke with a statement-making 19-5 win on Sunday.
The victory capped the Bearcats' first series win against a ranked team since taking two out of three at No. 22 UConn on April 5-7, 2019. The 14-run margin of victory is also Cincinnati's largest against a ranked opponent since at least 2000.
One day after suffering a heartbreaking 6-5 loss in extra innings, the Bearcats left nothing to chance in the rubber match on Sunday. After being sent down in order in the top of the first, UC scored at least once in each of the other eight innings to build an insurmountable lead. Head coach Jordan Bischel's brand of baseball, "Bischel Ball", was in full effect as the Bearcats made life exceedingly difficult on the Duke pitchers. Cincinnati drew 12 walks and was hit by a pitch four times, stole several bases, and had three bunt singles.
Four players had at least three RBI, with senior Kerrington Cross leading the charge with four driven in. Senior Donovan Ford, redshirt senior Dawson Hokuf, and redshirt freshman Charlie Niehaus all tallied three RBI apiece. Cross went 3-for-5 at the plate and walked once, one of three Bearcats to reach base four times. Hokuf and sophomore Cal Sefcik were the others, and Sefcik provided a huge two-run homer as well.
Hokuf went 2-for-5 with a couple walks in addition to his three RBI. Niehaus and freshman Parker McDaniels both notched the first hits of their collegiate careers.
Five different pitchers saw time on the mound. Senior Adam Mrakitsch made the start and struck out three in three innings, while freshman Hudson Johnson logged three innings to earn the victory. Sophomore Carson Marsh, freshman Brendin Oliver, and junior Chase Horst all pitched an inning in relief.
Next up for Cincinnati is an extended trip out west, with a four-game series at UNLV next weekend preceding a four-game series at UC San Diego the following weekend.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams were sent down in order in the first inning, which was not indicative of how the rest of the game would go.
Luke Sefcik and Kerrington Cross drew bases-loaded walks to bring home the first runs of the game in the top of the second, then Dawson Hokuf's impressive nine-pitch at-bat ended with an infield single that allowed another run to score and put the lead at 3-0. Duke's Macon Winslow blasted a two-run homer to respond in the bottom half of the second and make it 3-2.
Cal Sefcik's two-run blast got those runs back in the top of the third, and Charlie Niehaus made it 6-2 with a sac fly. The Blue Devils hit another home run in the bottom of the third to put the score at 6-3, but could not keep up with the offensive onslaught.
Hokuf laced a base hit into left field in the top of the fourth that brought home two runs and increased the lead to 8-3, and Christian Mitchelle's RBI in the top of the fifth made it 9-4. Duke's Tyler Albright drove in a run with an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth.
Two more Cincinnati runs scored in the sixth courtesy of Niehaus and Cross before the big seventh inning blew the game completely open. UC scored six runs and batted around, spraying hits all over the field to get the job done. The first run of the inning scored on Landyn Vidourek's perfectly placed bunt, and he later scored on Kory Klingenbeck's double that found no-man's land down the left field line. Cross' base hit into left field scored two, and Donovan Ford's single through the right side of the infield brought in two runs as well.
Duke added a run on a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh that made little difference, as the Bearcats tacked on runs in the eighth and ninth to put the finishing touches on a dominant victory.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The victory capped the Bearcats' first series win against a ranked team since taking two out of three at No. 22 UConn on April 5-7, 2019. The 14-run margin of victory is also Cincinnati's largest against a ranked opponent since at least 2000.
One day after suffering a heartbreaking 6-5 loss in extra innings, the Bearcats left nothing to chance in the rubber match on Sunday. After being sent down in order in the top of the first, UC scored at least once in each of the other eight innings to build an insurmountable lead. Head coach Jordan Bischel's brand of baseball, "Bischel Ball", was in full effect as the Bearcats made life exceedingly difficult on the Duke pitchers. Cincinnati drew 12 walks and was hit by a pitch four times, stole several bases, and had three bunt singles.
Four players had at least three RBI, with senior Kerrington Cross leading the charge with four driven in. Senior Donovan Ford, redshirt senior Dawson Hokuf, and redshirt freshman Charlie Niehaus all tallied three RBI apiece. Cross went 3-for-5 at the plate and walked once, one of three Bearcats to reach base four times. Hokuf and sophomore Cal Sefcik were the others, and Sefcik provided a huge two-run homer as well.
Hokuf went 2-for-5 with a couple walks in addition to his three RBI. Niehaus and freshman Parker McDaniels both notched the first hits of their collegiate careers.
Five different pitchers saw time on the mound. Senior Adam Mrakitsch made the start and struck out three in three innings, while freshman Hudson Johnson logged three innings to earn the victory. Sophomore Carson Marsh, freshman Brendin Oliver, and junior Chase Horst all pitched an inning in relief.
Next up for Cincinnati is an extended trip out west, with a four-game series at UNLV next weekend preceding a four-game series at UC San Diego the following weekend.
🗣️ @BischelJordan
— Cincinnati Baseball (@GoBearcatsBASE) February 17, 2025
Hear what Head Coach Jordan Bischel had to say following today's 19-5 win at No. 11 Duke.#Bearcats | #TenGames pic.twitter.com/ORQDTGBW1m
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams were sent down in order in the first inning, which was not indicative of how the rest of the game would go.
Luke Sefcik and Kerrington Cross drew bases-loaded walks to bring home the first runs of the game in the top of the second, then Dawson Hokuf's impressive nine-pitch at-bat ended with an infield single that allowed another run to score and put the lead at 3-0. Duke's Macon Winslow blasted a two-run homer to respond in the bottom half of the second and make it 3-2.
Cal Sefcik's two-run blast got those runs back in the top of the third, and Charlie Niehaus made it 6-2 with a sac fly. The Blue Devils hit another home run in the bottom of the third to put the score at 6-3, but could not keep up with the offensive onslaught.
Hokuf laced a base hit into left field in the top of the fourth that brought home two runs and increased the lead to 8-3, and Christian Mitchelle's RBI in the top of the fifth made it 9-4. Duke's Tyler Albright drove in a run with an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth.
Two more Cincinnati runs scored in the sixth courtesy of Niehaus and Cross before the big seventh inning blew the game completely open. UC scored six runs and batted around, spraying hits all over the field to get the job done. The first run of the inning scored on Landyn Vidourek's perfectly placed bunt, and he later scored on Kory Klingenbeck's double that found no-man's land down the left field line. Cross' base hit into left field scored two, and Donovan Ford's single through the right side of the infield brought in two runs as well.
Duke added a run on a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh that made little difference, as the Bearcats tacked on runs in the eighth and ninth to put the finishing touches on a dominant victory.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.