TicketsLAS VEGAS, Nev. – Sophomore pitcher Nathan Taylor struck out a career-best 11 in six shutout innings, but No. 25 Cincinnati fell to UNLV by a score of 5-4 on Saturday.
The Bearcats appeared to be headed for their second straight shutout victory before a four-run eighth inning for UNLV tied the game at 4-4. The first batter of the ninth inning, Mikey Cruz Jr., hit a walk-off homer for the Rebels to complete their comeback.
Taylor was the story on Saturday prior to that point as he baffled UNLV's bats all night long. He had at least two strikeouts in each of the first three innings, and the three hitters who he allowed to reach base did so on a walk and two ground ball base hits. The only real adversity he faced came in the fifth inning when the Rebels put two runners on with no outs, but the Amelia, Ohio native got a couple punchouts and a harmless ground ball to work his way out of trouble. Eleven strikeouts are tied for second-most by a Big 12 pitcher so far on the young season.
Redshirt senior Kory Klingenbeck and senior Tommy O'Connor both homered in the loss. It was the second straight game with a home run for Klingenbeck, and the first homer of the year for O'Connor. Junior Landyn Vidourek hit leadoff and stole a couple bases, and also had one of Cincinnati's five extra-base hits.
Game three is set for Sunday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Pitching was the story early, as Nathan Taylor and UNLV starter LJ Mercurius combined for 10 strikeouts through the first two innings. The stalemate was broken in the top of the third when Kory Klingenbeck smashed an opposite-field home run to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Jack Natili ripped a double into the gap that scored Donovan Ford and increased the lead to 2-0. Landyn Vidourek doubled off the wall in the top of the fourth to bring home Charlie Niehaus and put UC's lead at 3-0.
Meanwhile, Taylor was carving up the UNLV hitters with ease. He recorded eight strikeouts over the first three innings and notched strikeout number nine in the bottom of the fifth. The sophomore right-hander encountered his first bit of adversity in the bottom of the fifth, after the first two hitters of the inning reached. Taylor sent the next hitter down looking and got out number two on a ground ball before notching strikeout number 11 to get out of the inning.
Another solo homer in the top of the sixth gave the Bearcats a 4-0 advantage, this one coming off the bat of Tommy O'Connor. Taylor's final inning was the bottom of the sixth and he faced little resistance, inducing three ground balls.
Things got interesting in the bottom of the eighth as the Rebels scored four runs with two outs to tie the game. Back-to-back bases-loaded walks were followed by a two-run single to put the score at 4-4, the first runs UC had allowed since the seventh inning of the finale at Duke.
The first hitter of the bottom of the ninth for UNLV launched a home run to end the game and even the series.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The Bearcats appeared to be headed for their second straight shutout victory before a four-run eighth inning for UNLV tied the game at 4-4. The first batter of the ninth inning, Mikey Cruz Jr., hit a walk-off homer for the Rebels to complete their comeback.
Taylor was the story on Saturday prior to that point as he baffled UNLV's bats all night long. He had at least two strikeouts in each of the first three innings, and the three hitters who he allowed to reach base did so on a walk and two ground ball base hits. The only real adversity he faced came in the fifth inning when the Rebels put two runners on with no outs, but the Amelia, Ohio native got a couple punchouts and a harmless ground ball to work his way out of trouble. Eleven strikeouts are tied for second-most by a Big 12 pitcher so far on the young season.
Redshirt senior Kory Klingenbeck and senior Tommy O'Connor both homered in the loss. It was the second straight game with a home run for Klingenbeck, and the first homer of the year for O'Connor. Junior Landyn Vidourek hit leadoff and stole a couple bases, and also had one of Cincinnati's five extra-base hits.
Game three is set for Sunday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Pitching was the story early, as Nathan Taylor and UNLV starter LJ Mercurius combined for 10 strikeouts through the first two innings. The stalemate was broken in the top of the third when Kory Klingenbeck smashed an opposite-field home run to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Jack Natili ripped a double into the gap that scored Donovan Ford and increased the lead to 2-0. Landyn Vidourek doubled off the wall in the top of the fourth to bring home Charlie Niehaus and put UC's lead at 3-0.
Meanwhile, Taylor was carving up the UNLV hitters with ease. He recorded eight strikeouts over the first three innings and notched strikeout number nine in the bottom of the fifth. The sophomore right-hander encountered his first bit of adversity in the bottom of the fifth, after the first two hitters of the inning reached. Taylor sent the next hitter down looking and got out number two on a ground ball before notching strikeout number 11 to get out of the inning.
Another solo homer in the top of the sixth gave the Bearcats a 4-0 advantage, this one coming off the bat of Tommy O'Connor. Taylor's final inning was the bottom of the sixth and he faced little resistance, inducing three ground balls.
Things got interesting in the bottom of the eighth as the Rebels scored four runs with two outs to tie the game. Back-to-back bases-loaded walks were followed by a two-run single to put the score at 4-4, the first runs UC had allowed since the seventh inning of the finale at Duke.
The first hitter of the bottom of the ninth for UNLV launched a home run to end the game and even the series.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.