TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team completed its sweep of Canisius on Sunday with a 12-1 win at UC Baseball Stadium.
The Bearcats have now won five straight games after a 4-0 weekend at home against the Golden Griffins.
UC got off to a hot start in Sunday's game with a two-run first inning and never let up, scoring three runs in the sixth and five in the seventh. Sophomore Cal Sefcik's three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh enacted the run-rule and ended the game.
It was UC's third home run of the day, the other two coming from Sefcik's fellow outfielders: junior Landyn Vidourek and senior Donovan Ford. Vidourek went 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk and two stolen bases as well as the two-run homer, while sophomore Jack Natili reached base in all five plate appearances by logging four hits and a hit by pitch. Sefcik also went 3-for-4 while collecting a career-best four RBI.
Redshirt junior Joel Pineiro made his second start and earned the win, striking out three in four innings of work. Freshman Brendin Oliver was terrific out of the bullpen, striking out five in three shutout innings to earn the save. The freshman retired all nine hitters he faced.
The Bearcats conclude their six-game homestand on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. against Miami (Ohio). Big 12 Conference play begins next weekend at Arizona.
// NOTING THE WEEKEND
Starter Joel Pineiro induced an inning-ending double play in the top of the first, the third time this weekend the Bearcats rolled a double play to open the game. Cincinnati wasted no time in grabbing a lead after that as Jack Natili's RBI single and Charlie Niehaus' RBI groundout brought in the first two runs of the game.
Canisius got on the scoreboard in the top of the third on a fielder's choice to make it 2-1, but that would be the only run of the game by the opposition.
A double steal in the bottom of the third resulted in a throwing error by the Golden Griffins' catcher, prompting Landyn Vidourek to score and increase the lead to 3-1. Donovan Ford's home run led off the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-1, then Vidourek blasted a two-run shot over the fence in right field in the sixth to put it at 6-1. Cal Sefcik's RBI single into right field in the sixth scored Natili easily and gave the Bearcats a 7-1 advantage.
Brendin Oliver, who had entered the game in the top of the fifth, ended each of his three innings with a strikeout.
Natili's fourth hit of the game was a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh that scored Ford and Kerrington Cross and gave Cincinnati a 9-1 lead. The next hitter was Cal Sefcik, who roped a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run to end the game.
// 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.
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The Bearcats have now won five straight games after a 4-0 weekend at home against the Golden Griffins.
UC got off to a hot start in Sunday's game with a two-run first inning and never let up, scoring three runs in the sixth and five in the seventh. Sophomore Cal Sefcik's three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh enacted the run-rule and ended the game.
It was UC's third home run of the day, the other two coming from Sefcik's fellow outfielders: junior Landyn Vidourek and senior Donovan Ford. Vidourek went 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk and two stolen bases as well as the two-run homer, while sophomore Jack Natili reached base in all five plate appearances by logging four hits and a hit by pitch. Sefcik also went 3-for-4 while collecting a career-best four RBI.
Redshirt junior Joel Pineiro made his second start and earned the win, striking out three in four innings of work. Freshman Brendin Oliver was terrific out of the bullpen, striking out five in three shutout innings to earn the save. The freshman retired all nine hitters he faced.
The Bearcats conclude their six-game homestand on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. against Miami (Ohio). Big 12 Conference play begins next weekend at Arizona.
// NOTING THE WEEKEND
- The four wins combined with the victory vs. Toledo on Tuesday give the Bearcats a 5-0 record at home. The last time UC won that many home games in a row to start the year was 2016 when it won its first 10 home games.
- Cincinnati outscored Canisius 42-7 over the four games, its most runs scored in a four-game series since March 18-20, 2022 against Saint Joseph's (43).
- Its four-game series sweep was its first since taking all four games against North Alabama at home on March 3-5, 2023.
- UC hit .406 for the weekend while holding Canisius to a team batting average of just .181 over the course of the series.
- Cal Sefcik and Landyn Vidourek tied for the team lead over the weekend with eight RBI.
- Vidourek slugged an incredible 1.143, as half of his eight hits went for extra bases. He slugged two home runs and added two doubles as well. Vidourek also led the Bearcats with five stolen bases.
- The pitching staff combined to allow just two runs over the final three games. Canisius managed just three hits on Sunday, tied for the fewest allowed in a game by UC pitchers this season.
Starter Joel Pineiro induced an inning-ending double play in the top of the first, the third time this weekend the Bearcats rolled a double play to open the game. Cincinnati wasted no time in grabbing a lead after that as Jack Natili's RBI single and Charlie Niehaus' RBI groundout brought in the first two runs of the game.
Canisius got on the scoreboard in the top of the third on a fielder's choice to make it 2-1, but that would be the only run of the game by the opposition.
A double steal in the bottom of the third resulted in a throwing error by the Golden Griffins' catcher, prompting Landyn Vidourek to score and increase the lead to 3-1. Donovan Ford's home run led off the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-1, then Vidourek blasted a two-run shot over the fence in right field in the sixth to put it at 6-1. Cal Sefcik's RBI single into right field in the sixth scored Natili easily and gave the Bearcats a 7-1 advantage.
Brendin Oliver, who had entered the game in the top of the fifth, ended each of his three innings with a strikeout.
Natili's fourth hit of the game was a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh that scored Ford and Kerrington Cross and gave Cincinnati a 9-1 lead. The next hitter was Cal Sefcik, who roped a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run to end the game.
// 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.