TicketsLUBBOCK, Texas – It took 12 innings and plenty of twists and turns, but the University of Cincinnati baseball team extended its winning streak to six games on Friday with an 8-7 win at Texas Tech.
The six-game winning streak matches the longest for the Bearcats (18-11, 5-5 Big 12) this season and the 12 innings played also match their longest game of the season.
Trailing the Red Raiders (8-18, 4-6 Big 12) 7-5 entering the top of the ninth, UC put together a rally to tie the game and send it into extras. Texas Tech threatened in the 11th, but redshirt senior Brandon Scheurer stood tall and wiggled his way out of trouble. He was rewarded with a run in the top of the 12th from sophomore Jack Natili that gave Cincinnati an 8-7 lead, and Scheurer stranded a couple TTU runners in the bottom half of the inning to seal the deal.
Scheurer earned the win with 2.1 scoreless frames and three strikeouts. He was one of seven pitchers to see time on the mound and was the capper to a tremendous performance by the bullpen. The Bearcats' bullpen allowed just one run in seven innings of work and struck out seven hitters to help keep the Red Raiders' bats quiet.
Natili was one of six Bearcats to have a multi-hit effort on Friday. Senior Lauden Brooks led the way with three hits and five others had two, including redshirt senior Kerrington Cross. The reigning Big 12 Co-Player of the Week, Cross was 2-for-4 with three walks out of the leadoff spot. He ranked sixth in the nation in on-base percentage coming into the weekend, and he raised his OBP even higher to .568 after Friday's game.
Sophomore Cal Sefcik, senior Tommy O'Connor, and redshirt freshman Charlie Niehaus all had two hits apiece.
Junior Landyn Vidourek walked twice and stole his 20th bag of the season. He was tied for fourth among Power Four players in stolen bases entering the weekend.
Due to inclement weather expected in the area on Saturday, the series will conclude with a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at noon ET.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati scored the first run of the game in the top of the first on an RBI fielder's choice from Jack Natili. A three-run third inning extended the lead to 4-0, as Natili, Lauden Brooks, and Cal Sefcik drove in runs to put up a crooked number.
Nathan Taylor was cruising until hitting a bit of a rough patch in the fifth and sixth. Texas Tech scored three in the fifth and three more in the sixth to go up 6-4. The runs in the sixth were scored on a pair of home runs.
UC got one of those runs back in the seventh on a two-out, RBI double off the bat of Christian Mitchelle, but the Red Raiders got that run back in the bottom of the eighth to put the score at 7-5.
Down to their final three outs, the Bearcats put together a rally in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Landyn Vidourek walked to lead off the inning and stole second, then later scored on Cal Sefcik's base hit up the middle to make it 7-6. Tommy O'Connor singled to put runners at the corners and Charlie Niehaus walked to load the bases with two outs, bringing Donovan Ford to the plate. Ford put together an incredible at-bat, going from down 0-2 to drawing a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 7-7.
The game moved to extra innings and the first real threat by either side came in the bottom of the 11th. The Red Raiders had runners on first and second with one out, but Brandon Scheurer induced a harmless 6-4-3 double play to get himself out of trouble.
The tie was broken in the top of the 12th by Natili. With the bases loaded and one out, his fly ball down the right field line found no man's land and fell safely to the turf, allowing Ford to score and give the Bearcats an 8-7 lead.
Brandon Scheurer, who had entered the game in the 10th, sent the final batter of the game down on strikes to seal the win in UC's longest game of the season.
// CINCINNATI BASEBALL TICKET INFO
Upcoming Big 12 series at UC Baseball Stadium include Arizona State (April 11-13), Oklahoma State (April 25-27), and Kansas State (May 15-17). Non-conference games left at UC Baseball Stadium include midweek contests vs. Xavier (April 15) and Indiana (May 13).
There is still a lot of great baseball left to be played at UC Baseball Stadium this season! 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 six-game winning streak matches the longest for the Bearcats (18-11, 5-5 Big 12) this season and the 12 innings played also match their longest game of the season.
Trailing the Red Raiders (8-18, 4-6 Big 12) 7-5 entering the top of the ninth, UC put together a rally to tie the game and send it into extras. Texas Tech threatened in the 11th, but redshirt senior Brandon Scheurer stood tall and wiggled his way out of trouble. He was rewarded with a run in the top of the 12th from sophomore Jack Natili that gave Cincinnati an 8-7 lead, and Scheurer stranded a couple TTU runners in the bottom half of the inning to seal the deal.
Scheurer earned the win with 2.1 scoreless frames and three strikeouts. He was one of seven pitchers to see time on the mound and was the capper to a tremendous performance by the bullpen. The Bearcats' bullpen allowed just one run in seven innings of work and struck out seven hitters to help keep the Red Raiders' bats quiet.
Natili was one of six Bearcats to have a multi-hit effort on Friday. Senior Lauden Brooks led the way with three hits and five others had two, including redshirt senior Kerrington Cross. The reigning Big 12 Co-Player of the Week, Cross was 2-for-4 with three walks out of the leadoff spot. He ranked sixth in the nation in on-base percentage coming into the weekend, and he raised his OBP even higher to .568 after Friday's game.
Sophomore Cal Sefcik, senior Tommy O'Connor, and redshirt freshman Charlie Niehaus all had two hits apiece.
Junior Landyn Vidourek walked twice and stole his 20th bag of the season. He was tied for fourth among Power Four players in stolen bases entering the weekend.
Due to inclement weather expected in the area on Saturday, the series will conclude with a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at noon ET.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati scored the first run of the game in the top of the first on an RBI fielder's choice from Jack Natili. A three-run third inning extended the lead to 4-0, as Natili, Lauden Brooks, and Cal Sefcik drove in runs to put up a crooked number.
Nathan Taylor was cruising until hitting a bit of a rough patch in the fifth and sixth. Texas Tech scored three in the fifth and three more in the sixth to go up 6-4. The runs in the sixth were scored on a pair of home runs.
UC got one of those runs back in the seventh on a two-out, RBI double off the bat of Christian Mitchelle, but the Red Raiders got that run back in the bottom of the eighth to put the score at 7-5.
Down to their final three outs, the Bearcats put together a rally in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Landyn Vidourek walked to lead off the inning and stole second, then later scored on Cal Sefcik's base hit up the middle to make it 7-6. Tommy O'Connor singled to put runners at the corners and Charlie Niehaus walked to load the bases with two outs, bringing Donovan Ford to the plate. Ford put together an incredible at-bat, going from down 0-2 to drawing a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 7-7.
The game moved to extra innings and the first real threat by either side came in the bottom of the 11th. The Red Raiders had runners on first and second with one out, but Brandon Scheurer induced a harmless 6-4-3 double play to get himself out of trouble.
The tie was broken in the top of the 12th by Natili. With the bases loaded and one out, his fly ball down the right field line found no man's land and fell safely to the turf, allowing Ford to score and give the Bearcats an 8-7 lead.
Brandon Scheurer, who had entered the game in the 10th, sent the final batter of the game down on strikes to seal the win in UC's longest game of the season.
// CINCINNATI BASEBALL TICKET INFO
Upcoming Big 12 series at UC Baseball Stadium include Arizona State (April 11-13), Oklahoma State (April 25-27), and Kansas State (May 15-17). Non-conference games left at UC Baseball Stadium include midweek contests vs. Xavier (April 15) and Indiana (May 13).
There is still a lot of great baseball left to be played at UC Baseball Stadium this season! 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.