TicketsLA JOLLA, Calif. – No. 23 Cincinnati found itself back in the win column on Friday night, defeating UC San Diego by a score of 5-2.
After back-to-back one-run losses, the Bearcats were able to rebound and put together an all-around solid performance to even the series with the Tritons.
Sophomore starting pitcher Nathan Taylor was excellent once again, striking out nine in seven innings to earn the win. His performance tied for the longest outing of his career, matching his seven-inning game against TCU last season. In three starts this year, Taylor is sporting a 1.59 ERA and has 26 strikeouts in 17.0 innings with just seven walks.
Junior Landyn Vidourek crushed a two-run home run in the top of the second, and the Bearcats never trailed the rest of the night. They continued to add to their lead with runs in the third, fourth, and seventh innings while Taylor kept the UCSD hitters at bay, which proved to be a winning combination
Sophomore Jack Natili led the way at the plate, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. The Bearcats' starting backstop went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, and hit by pitch. Senior Tommy O'Connor went 2-for-4 with two runs scored out of the two-hole in the lineup, and both redshirt senior Kory Klingenbeck and Vidourek homered in the victory.
Freshman Hudson Johnson earned the save, striking out three while retiring all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings.
Game three is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
The score started in the top of the second with a two-run homer from Landyn Vidourek. Donovan Ford opened the inning by reaching on an error and stole second, but was able to jog home on Vidourek's no-doubter to right field. UC San Diego responded with a two-out, solo homer in the bottom half of the second to make it a 2-1 game.
The Bearcats continued to pile onto their lead over the next couple innings, while Nathan Taylor silenced the Triton bats. Natili drove in a run with an RBI double in the top of the third, then Kory Klingenbeck mashed an opposite-field home run in the fourth to make it 4-1. Taylor struck out two in the third and was able to keep UC San Diego off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth, when a leadoff walk was followed by an RBI double to put the score at 4-2.
Cincinnati quickly got that run back in the top of the seventh. Tommy O'Connor singled to lead off the inning and Natili reached on a base hit to put two men on. With two outs, Christian Mitchelle later singled up the middle to drive in O'Connor and give UC a 5-2 advantage.
Taylor found himself in a minor jam in the bottom of the seventh after an infield single and a double put runners at the corners with two outs, but he was able to escape the inning unscathed. After Taylor left the game, Hudson Johnson picked up where his teammate left off by dominating the UC San Diego hitters. The freshman posted back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to seal the win and earn the save.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
After back-to-back one-run losses, the Bearcats were able to rebound and put together an all-around solid performance to even the series with the Tritons.
Sophomore starting pitcher Nathan Taylor was excellent once again, striking out nine in seven innings to earn the win. His performance tied for the longest outing of his career, matching his seven-inning game against TCU last season. In three starts this year, Taylor is sporting a 1.59 ERA and has 26 strikeouts in 17.0 innings with just seven walks.
Junior Landyn Vidourek crushed a two-run home run in the top of the second, and the Bearcats never trailed the rest of the night. They continued to add to their lead with runs in the third, fourth, and seventh innings while Taylor kept the UCSD hitters at bay, which proved to be a winning combination
Sophomore Jack Natili led the way at the plate, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. The Bearcats' starting backstop went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, and hit by pitch. Senior Tommy O'Connor went 2-for-4 with two runs scored out of the two-hole in the lineup, and both redshirt senior Kory Klingenbeck and Vidourek homered in the victory.
Freshman Hudson Johnson earned the save, striking out three while retiring all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings.
Game three is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
The score started in the top of the second with a two-run homer from Landyn Vidourek. Donovan Ford opened the inning by reaching on an error and stole second, but was able to jog home on Vidourek's no-doubter to right field. UC San Diego responded with a two-out, solo homer in the bottom half of the second to make it a 2-1 game.
The Bearcats continued to pile onto their lead over the next couple innings, while Nathan Taylor silenced the Triton bats. Natili drove in a run with an RBI double in the top of the third, then Kory Klingenbeck mashed an opposite-field home run in the fourth to make it 4-1. Taylor struck out two in the third and was able to keep UC San Diego off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth, when a leadoff walk was followed by an RBI double to put the score at 4-2.
Cincinnati quickly got that run back in the top of the seventh. Tommy O'Connor singled to lead off the inning and Natili reached on a base hit to put two men on. With two outs, Christian Mitchelle later singled up the middle to drive in O'Connor and give UC a 5-2 advantage.
Taylor found himself in a minor jam in the bottom of the seventh after an infield single and a double put runners at the corners with two outs, but he was able to escape the inning unscathed. After Taylor left the game, Hudson Johnson picked up where his teammate left off by dominating the UC San Diego hitters. The freshman posted back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to seal the win and earn the save.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.