TicketsLUBBOCK, Texas – The University of Cincinnati baseball team wrapped up its weekend at Texas Tech by splitting Sunday's doubleheader. UC won game one, 8-1, before dropping game two by a score of 12-8.
The win in game one was the seventh straight for the Bearcats, giving them their longest winning streak since winning 10 in a row from March 11-25, 2016. The seven-game winning streak was short lived, however, as Texas Tech won a back-and-forth affair in game two.
Cincinnati (19-12, 6-6 Big 12) took two out of three games against Texas Tech (9-19, 5-7 Big 12) and has now won back-to-back Big 12 series.
The story of game one was redshirt senior Kellen O'Connor's complete game, the first nine-inning complete game by a Big 12 pitcher this season and the first for Cincinnati since 2022. Beau Keathley threw a nine-inning complete game against Tulane on May 24, 2022. It matched O'Connor's career-long outing, which he did last season at UC Davis while playing for CSU Bakersfield.
The second game was a wild one, as the Red Raiders jumped out in front with four runs in the bottom of the first. UC trailed 7-2 at one point before storming back to take an 8-7 lead in the top of the seventh. Just six outs away from a series sweep, Cincinnati was unable to hold on and Texas Tech scored five in the eighth to reclaim the lead and win, 12-8.
Cincinnati hit seven home runs over the course of the weekend, two of which came from junior Landyn Vidourek on Sunday. He hit one home run each in game one and game two of the doubleheader, the second time this season he has homered in consecutive games.
Redshirt senior Kerrington Cross continued to give opposing pitchers fits, reaching base 10 times in Lubbock and drawing six walks. Half the time he got on base he scored, tying with Vidourek and senior Donovan Ford with five runs scored.
Next up for Cincinnati is the Joe Nuxhall Classic at Prasco Park. UC will face Wright State on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. before facing either Miami (Ohio) or Xavier on Wednesday. Admission, parking, and concessions are free for all attendees at Prasco Park.
Following the Joe Nuxhall Classic, Cincinnati will host No. 24 Arizona State at UC Baseball Stadium for three games next weekend.
// HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
Kerrington Cross got things going early, launching the second pitch of the game over the wall for a home run. Jack Natili followed a few batters later to make it 2-0 before the Red Raiders had taken a swing. In the field, Landyn Vidourek made a pair of excellent diving catches in right field across the first two innings and he got it done at the plate as well, hitting a solo homer in the top of the fourth.
The biggest offensive inning of the game was the top of the fifth as UC scored four runs to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Tommy O'Connor scored on a Texas Tech error to bring in the first run of the inning, then Vidourek doubled down the line in right field to score two more. TTU's second baseman made an excellent running catch down the right field line, but his positioning allowed Lauden Brooks to score easily from third on the sacrifice fly.
While the offense was piling it on, Kellen O'Connor was shutting down the Red Raiders on the mound. He allowed just three baserunners through the first five innings and only allowed one run the entire game, which came in the bottom of the sixth. A leadoff double put a runner in scoring position for Texas Tech and that runner later scored on a sac fly.
O'Connor continued to flummox the Red Raiders and was rewarded with another insurance run in the ninth when Donovan Ford scored on a throwing error to make it 8-1.
O'Connor sent down the final three hitters in order to wrap up the complete game and clinch the series for the Bearcats.
// HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
Texas Tech hit two home runs in the bottom of the first, including a three-run shot from Davis Rivers, to take a 4-0 lead.
Lauden Brooks got Cincinnati on the board in the top of the third with an RBI bunt single, but TTU got that run back on a solo homer in the bottom of the third. Christian Mitchelle's leadoff home run in the top of the fourth was negated by two more Red Raider runs in the bottom half of the inning that put the score at 7-2.
The Bearcats' comeback started in the sixth and continued into the seventh. Landyn Vidourek led off the sixth with a home run, then Kory Klingenbeck homered to lead off the seventh. Donovan Ford went back-to-back with Klingenbeck to make it 7-5, and a few batters later Cal Sefcik laced a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 7-7.
After homering earlier in the game, Mitchelle opted to lay one down in the seventh to bring home the go-ahead run and give Cincinnati its first lead of the game at 8-7.
Texas Tech did not stay down for long, scoring five in the eighth. The tying run came in on a wild pitch and the go-ahead run scored on a double down the right field line. Two RBI singles provided insurance runs and brought about the final score of 12-8.
// 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 win in game one was the seventh straight for the Bearcats, giving them their longest winning streak since winning 10 in a row from March 11-25, 2016. The seven-game winning streak was short lived, however, as Texas Tech won a back-and-forth affair in game two.
Cincinnati (19-12, 6-6 Big 12) took two out of three games against Texas Tech (9-19, 5-7 Big 12) and has now won back-to-back Big 12 series.
The story of game one was redshirt senior Kellen O'Connor's complete game, the first nine-inning complete game by a Big 12 pitcher this season and the first for Cincinnati since 2022. Beau Keathley threw a nine-inning complete game against Tulane on May 24, 2022. It matched O'Connor's career-long outing, which he did last season at UC Davis while playing for CSU Bakersfield.
The second game was a wild one, as the Red Raiders jumped out in front with four runs in the bottom of the first. UC trailed 7-2 at one point before storming back to take an 8-7 lead in the top of the seventh. Just six outs away from a series sweep, Cincinnati was unable to hold on and Texas Tech scored five in the eighth to reclaim the lead and win, 12-8.
Cincinnati hit seven home runs over the course of the weekend, two of which came from junior Landyn Vidourek on Sunday. He hit one home run each in game one and game two of the doubleheader, the second time this season he has homered in consecutive games.
Redshirt senior Kerrington Cross continued to give opposing pitchers fits, reaching base 10 times in Lubbock and drawing six walks. Half the time he got on base he scored, tying with Vidourek and senior Donovan Ford with five runs scored.
Next up for Cincinnati is the Joe Nuxhall Classic at Prasco Park. UC will face Wright State on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. before facing either Miami (Ohio) or Xavier on Wednesday. Admission, parking, and concessions are free for all attendees at Prasco Park.
Following the Joe Nuxhall Classic, Cincinnati will host No. 24 Arizona State at UC Baseball Stadium for three games next weekend.
// HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
Kerrington Cross got things going early, launching the second pitch of the game over the wall for a home run. Jack Natili followed a few batters later to make it 2-0 before the Red Raiders had taken a swing. In the field, Landyn Vidourek made a pair of excellent diving catches in right field across the first two innings and he got it done at the plate as well, hitting a solo homer in the top of the fourth.
The biggest offensive inning of the game was the top of the fifth as UC scored four runs to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Tommy O'Connor scored on a Texas Tech error to bring in the first run of the inning, then Vidourek doubled down the line in right field to score two more. TTU's second baseman made an excellent running catch down the right field line, but his positioning allowed Lauden Brooks to score easily from third on the sacrifice fly.
While the offense was piling it on, Kellen O'Connor was shutting down the Red Raiders on the mound. He allowed just three baserunners through the first five innings and only allowed one run the entire game, which came in the bottom of the sixth. A leadoff double put a runner in scoring position for Texas Tech and that runner later scored on a sac fly.
O'Connor continued to flummox the Red Raiders and was rewarded with another insurance run in the ninth when Donovan Ford scored on a throwing error to make it 8-1.
O'Connor sent down the final three hitters in order to wrap up the complete game and clinch the series for the Bearcats.
// HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
Texas Tech hit two home runs in the bottom of the first, including a three-run shot from Davis Rivers, to take a 4-0 lead.
Lauden Brooks got Cincinnati on the board in the top of the third with an RBI bunt single, but TTU got that run back on a solo homer in the bottom of the third. Christian Mitchelle's leadoff home run in the top of the fourth was negated by two more Red Raider runs in the bottom half of the inning that put the score at 7-2.
The Bearcats' comeback started in the sixth and continued into the seventh. Landyn Vidourek led off the sixth with a home run, then Kory Klingenbeck homered to lead off the seventh. Donovan Ford went back-to-back with Klingenbeck to make it 7-5, and a few batters later Cal Sefcik laced a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 7-7.
After homering earlier in the game, Mitchelle opted to lay one down in the seventh to bring home the go-ahead run and give Cincinnati its first lead of the game at 8-7.
Texas Tech did not stay down for long, scoring five in the eighth. The tying run came in on a wild pitch and the go-ahead run scored on a double down the right field line. Two RBI singles provided insurance runs and brought about the final score of 12-8.
// 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.