TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team captured two wins vs. Oklahoma State on Saturday.
The Bearcats (24-19, 10-10 Big 12) and Cowboys (18-21, 6-11 Big 12) began the day by resuming yesterday's suspended game, which UC won by a score of 4-0. Cincinnati then won game two, 11-4, to clinch the series and put itself in a position to sweep the Cowboys on Sunday.
The shutout in game one was the third of the season for Cincinnati, and its first in a Big 12 game since last year's 1-0 win vs. Kansas on March 16, 2024.
First pitch for the finale on Sunday is set for 1:00 p.m.
Game one started as a pitcher's duel on Friday night, with sophomore Nathan Taylor putting together three masterful innings before the game was halted. Redshirt senior Kellen O'Connor took over on Saturday and picked up where Taylor left off, blanking the Cowboys the rest of the way.
The Bearcats built a 6-2 lead in game two before Oklahoma State scored two in the top of the eighth to make it a 6-4 ballgame. UC responded with its best offensive inning of the day, scoring five in the bottom half of the third to seal the deal.
Taylor and O'Connor headlined a terrific start to the series for Cincinnati's pitching staff. Taylor struck out seven in three innings of work, and O'Connor earned the win with six shutout frames while striking out eight. The duo combined to allow just three hits in game one.
Four pitchers saw time in game two, with freshman Adam Buczkowski earning the victory after tossing four scoreless innings while striking out three. Junior Christian Mitchelle earned the save, striking out three over the final 1.2 innings.
Overall, UC's pitchers held Oklahoma State to a .121 batting average (7-for-58) over the first two games.
All of junior Landyn Vidourek's skills were on display in the first two games as he went 6-for-10 at the plate, stole three bases, and had two outfield assists in the first game.
Redshirt senior Kerrington Cross drove in five of Cincinnati's 14 combined runs over the first two games and walked twice, and freshman Quinton Coats continued to swing the bat well with a pair of doubles.
The Bearcats saw the ball well on Friday and Saturday, hitting .358 (24-for-67) as a team.
// HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
Nathan Taylor got off to a remarkable start on Friday night, striking out six through the first two innings and sending the Cowboys down in order in the top of the third. The game was halted at that point and resumed on Saturday, after which Cincinnati almost immediately took the lead. Charlie Niehaus and Landyn Vidourek reached on singles to put two runners on for Kerrington Cross, who laced a single up the middle to score both runners and make it 2-0.
Kellen O'Connor took over the pitching duties on Saturday with Taylor spent from Friday's short outing, and he was outstanding. After walking three in the fourth inning, he settled down and kept Oklahoma State off the scoreboard all game long.
Cross stepped up once again the bottom of the eighth to add two insurance runs on a single into left field to make it 4-0. O'Connor then pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth, striking out the final two hitters of the game to cement the shutout.
// HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
After not scoring at all in game one, Oklahoma State scored a run in the top of the first in game two to take the lead.
The Bearcats weren't down for long, as they scored four in the bottom of the first to make it 4-1. Landyn Vidourek scored on a wild pitch, Cal Sefcik drove in a run on a single to left field, and Christian Mitchelle's two-out, two-run single capped the scoring.
Both teams scored in the second inning to put the score at 5-2, and neither scored again until the seventh. Adam Buczkowski kept the Oklahoma State offense at bay during that stretch, and Cincinnati had opportunities to score in each inning but couldn't bring anybody home.
The scoring drought was broken when Derrick Pitts hustled out an infield single in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-2, but the Cowboys halved their deficit in the top of the eighth on a two-run double.
With the score at 6-4, Christian Mitchelle went from second base to the pitcher's mound and got the final two outs of the inning, stranding runners at second and third.
The offense rewarded Mitchelle with five runs in the bottom of the eighth to build an 11-4 lead. Mitchelle then retired all three hitters in the top of the ninth in order to clinch the win.
// CINCINNATI BASEBALL TICKET INFO
The baseball season is winding down, but we still have important home games left in May against Indiana (May 13) and Kansas State (May 15-17), and we would love to see you come back to the ballpark! To purchase your tickets, visit cpaw.me/Tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX (1-877-228-7849).
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The Bearcats (24-19, 10-10 Big 12) and Cowboys (18-21, 6-11 Big 12) began the day by resuming yesterday's suspended game, which UC won by a score of 4-0. Cincinnati then won game two, 11-4, to clinch the series and put itself in a position to sweep the Cowboys on Sunday.
The shutout in game one was the third of the season for Cincinnati, and its first in a Big 12 game since last year's 1-0 win vs. Kansas on March 16, 2024.
First pitch for the finale on Sunday is set for 1:00 p.m.
Game one started as a pitcher's duel on Friday night, with sophomore Nathan Taylor putting together three masterful innings before the game was halted. Redshirt senior Kellen O'Connor took over on Saturday and picked up where Taylor left off, blanking the Cowboys the rest of the way.
The Bearcats built a 6-2 lead in game two before Oklahoma State scored two in the top of the eighth to make it a 6-4 ballgame. UC responded with its best offensive inning of the day, scoring five in the bottom half of the third to seal the deal.
Taylor and O'Connor headlined a terrific start to the series for Cincinnati's pitching staff. Taylor struck out seven in three innings of work, and O'Connor earned the win with six shutout frames while striking out eight. The duo combined to allow just three hits in game one.
Four pitchers saw time in game two, with freshman Adam Buczkowski earning the victory after tossing four scoreless innings while striking out three. Junior Christian Mitchelle earned the save, striking out three over the final 1.2 innings.
Overall, UC's pitchers held Oklahoma State to a .121 batting average (7-for-58) over the first two games.
All of junior Landyn Vidourek's skills were on display in the first two games as he went 6-for-10 at the plate, stole three bases, and had two outfield assists in the first game.
Redshirt senior Kerrington Cross drove in five of Cincinnati's 14 combined runs over the first two games and walked twice, and freshman Quinton Coats continued to swing the bat well with a pair of doubles.
The Bearcats saw the ball well on Friday and Saturday, hitting .358 (24-for-67) as a team.
// HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
Nathan Taylor got off to a remarkable start on Friday night, striking out six through the first two innings and sending the Cowboys down in order in the top of the third. The game was halted at that point and resumed on Saturday, after which Cincinnati almost immediately took the lead. Charlie Niehaus and Landyn Vidourek reached on singles to put two runners on for Kerrington Cross, who laced a single up the middle to score both runners and make it 2-0.
Kellen O'Connor took over the pitching duties on Saturday with Taylor spent from Friday's short outing, and he was outstanding. After walking three in the fourth inning, he settled down and kept Oklahoma State off the scoreboard all game long.
Cross stepped up once again the bottom of the eighth to add two insurance runs on a single into left field to make it 4-0. O'Connor then pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth, striking out the final two hitters of the game to cement the shutout.
// HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
After not scoring at all in game one, Oklahoma State scored a run in the top of the first in game two to take the lead.
The Bearcats weren't down for long, as they scored four in the bottom of the first to make it 4-1. Landyn Vidourek scored on a wild pitch, Cal Sefcik drove in a run on a single to left field, and Christian Mitchelle's two-out, two-run single capped the scoring.
Both teams scored in the second inning to put the score at 5-2, and neither scored again until the seventh. Adam Buczkowski kept the Oklahoma State offense at bay during that stretch, and Cincinnati had opportunities to score in each inning but couldn't bring anybody home.
The scoring drought was broken when Derrick Pitts hustled out an infield single in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-2, but the Cowboys halved their deficit in the top of the eighth on a two-run double.
With the score at 6-4, Christian Mitchelle went from second base to the pitcher's mound and got the final two outs of the inning, stranding runners at second and third.
The offense rewarded Mitchelle with five runs in the bottom of the eighth to build an 11-4 lead. Mitchelle then retired all three hitters in the top of the ninth in order to clinch the win.
// CINCINNATI BASEBALL TICKET INFO
The baseball season is winding down, but we still have important home games left in May against Indiana (May 13) and Kansas State (May 15-17), and we would love to see you come back to the ballpark! To purchase your tickets, visit cpaw.me/Tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX (1-877-228-7849).
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.