TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team defeated Toledo, 7-5, at UC Baseball Stadium on Tuesday in its first home game of 2025.
A year after going 18-8 at home, the Bearcats won their first game at home this year over their in-state foe. The top of the lineup did its part on Tuesday, as each of the first four batters in the order had multi-hit efforts. Senior Tommy O'Connor (hitting second) and junior Landyn Vidourek (hitting third) homered as well, going back-to-back in the third inning. It was the first time Bearcats hit back-to-back homers since Josh Kross and Hunter Jessee went back-to-back at Saint Louis last season.
Redshirt senior Max Bergmann also turned in a great performance in relief, striking out three in 2.1 scoreless frames to keep the Toledo bats at bay. He entered the game in the top of the fifth with runners at the corners and notched a clutch strikeout, and he ended his outing with back-to-back K's to strand a couple runners in the seventh.
Vidourek's three hits led UC, while O'Connor, redshirt senior Kerrington Cross, sophomore Jack Natili, and redshirt freshman Charlie Niehaus all logged two hits apiece. Both of Niehaus' hits were doubles, and he recorded one of Cincinnati's five stolen bases as well. Vidourek registered two steals to lead the way.
Junior Christian Mitchelle started at second base and had a clutch RBI double in the fifth inning, then took the mound in the ninth to shut down the Rockets and record his first save of the season.
Next up for Cincinnati is a four-game series against Canisius this weekend.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati manufactured a couple runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Kerrington Cross singled to open the inning and Tommy O'Connor followed up with a double, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Two batters later, Jack Natili singled to center field and scored Cross, then O'Connor scored easily on Dawson Hokuf's sac fly.
Toledo responded with a two-run homer in the top of the second off the bate of Luke Leto to tie it up at 2-2, but UC answered with the big fly an inning later. O'Connor and Landyn Vidourek hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the inning and give UC a 4-2 lead. The Rockets cut the lead to one with a sac fly in the fourth, but Cincinnati added two more in the fifth. After singling to lead off the inning and stealing second and third, Vidourek scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning. Christian Mitchelle then ripped a two-out double into left field that scored Natili and gave UC a 5-6-3 advantage.
Max Bergmann shut the Rockets down in the sixth and seventh, but UT's Leto homered again in the top of the eighth. His two-run shot made it a one-run game, 6-5.
Cincinnati added a valuable insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on an interesting play. With runners at the corners, Natili launched a fly ball to right field that would have scored Cross easily via sacrifice, but after a review it was ruled that the runner at first was doubled off after initially being ruled safe. While it was the third out of the inning, Cross was deemed to have scored before the out occurred, giving Cincinnati its seventh run.
Afer spending the whole game at second base, Mitchelle took over on the mound and posted a scoreless ninth to record his first save of the year.
// SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Still need your tickets for the 2025 season? Starting at just $75 for adults and $50 for youth, seniors & military, it's the perfect time to lock in your seats for year two of the Jordan Bischel era in Cincinnati. To purchase your season tickets, visit cpaw.me/SeasonTickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX (1-877-228-7849).
NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change due to weather. All schedule changes will be announced on X/Twitter at @GoBearcatsBASE.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
A year after going 18-8 at home, the Bearcats won their first game at home this year over their in-state foe. The top of the lineup did its part on Tuesday, as each of the first four batters in the order had multi-hit efforts. Senior Tommy O'Connor (hitting second) and junior Landyn Vidourek (hitting third) homered as well, going back-to-back in the third inning. It was the first time Bearcats hit back-to-back homers since Josh Kross and Hunter Jessee went back-to-back at Saint Louis last season.
Redshirt senior Max Bergmann also turned in a great performance in relief, striking out three in 2.1 scoreless frames to keep the Toledo bats at bay. He entered the game in the top of the fifth with runners at the corners and notched a clutch strikeout, and he ended his outing with back-to-back K's to strand a couple runners in the seventh.
Vidourek's three hits led UC, while O'Connor, redshirt senior Kerrington Cross, sophomore Jack Natili, and redshirt freshman Charlie Niehaus all logged two hits apiece. Both of Niehaus' hits were doubles, and he recorded one of Cincinnati's five stolen bases as well. Vidourek registered two steals to lead the way.
Junior Christian Mitchelle started at second base and had a clutch RBI double in the fifth inning, then took the mound in the ninth to shut down the Rockets and record his first save of the season.
Next up for Cincinnati is a four-game series against Canisius this weekend.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati manufactured a couple runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Kerrington Cross singled to open the inning and Tommy O'Connor followed up with a double, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Two batters later, Jack Natili singled to center field and scored Cross, then O'Connor scored easily on Dawson Hokuf's sac fly.
Toledo responded with a two-run homer in the top of the second off the bate of Luke Leto to tie it up at 2-2, but UC answered with the big fly an inning later. O'Connor and Landyn Vidourek hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the inning and give UC a 4-2 lead. The Rockets cut the lead to one with a sac fly in the fourth, but Cincinnati added two more in the fifth. After singling to lead off the inning and stealing second and third, Vidourek scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning. Christian Mitchelle then ripped a two-out double into left field that scored Natili and gave UC a 5-6-3 advantage.
Max Bergmann shut the Rockets down in the sixth and seventh, but UT's Leto homered again in the top of the eighth. His two-run shot made it a one-run game, 6-5.
Cincinnati added a valuable insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on an interesting play. With runners at the corners, Natili launched a fly ball to right field that would have scored Cross easily via sacrifice, but after a review it was ruled that the runner at first was doubled off after initially being ruled safe. While it was the third out of the inning, Cross was deemed to have scored before the out occurred, giving Cincinnati its seventh run.
Afer spending the whole game at second base, Mitchelle took over on the mound and posted a scoreless ninth to record his first save of the year.
// SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Still need your tickets for the 2025 season? Starting at just $75 for adults and $50 for youth, seniors & military, it's the perfect time to lock in your seats for year two of the Jordan Bischel era in Cincinnati. To purchase your season tickets, visit cpaw.me/SeasonTickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX (1-877-228-7849).
NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change due to weather. All schedule changes will be announced on X/Twitter at @GoBearcatsBASE.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.