TicketsKNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team dropped its second game of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, falling to No. 1 seed Tennessee by a score of 10-6.
Cincinnati will now face No. 2 seed Wake Forest on Sunday at noon in an elimination game. The game will be televised on ACC Network. The winner of that game will have to beat Tennessee twice to advance out of the Knoxville Regional.
The Volunteers scored twice in the top of the first, but the threat was halted after freshman Derrick Pitts' incredible diving catch. UT scored again in the third, and UC scored twice to make it a 3-2 game, but the defending champs continued to pile it on. Tennessee scored a run in the fourth and four more in the sixth to build an 8-2 advantage.
Junior Christian Mitchelle's solo homer sparked a two-run seventh inning that trimmed the deficit to four, 8-4, but the Vols responded with two more runs in the top of the ninth. The Bearcats didn't go down without a fight, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth and putting the tying run in the on deck circle, but the rally was cut short.
"Tip of the cap to Coach [Tony] Vitello and Tennessee," head coach Jordan Bischel said. "They swung the bats well. They had a good hitting approach and didn't give away any at-bats. We had a few free passes that bit us, but they get credit for those as well as they didn't chase a whole lot. We knew they would be good and we would have to play really well. We competed, but we just didn't play our best baseball."
Redshirt senior Kerrington Cross went 2-for-2 and walked three times, putting his batting average this season at .399. Freshman Quinton Coats also had two hits, and sophomore Cal Sefcik drove in two runs.
Redshirt senior Kellen O'Connor made the start, punching out four hitters in 5.1 innings of work. Freshman Adam Buczkowski pitched for the second straight game, and redshirt senior Brandon Scheurer tallied four strikeouts in 3.2 innings in relief.
Cincinnati pitchers recorded eight strikeouts on Saturday to bring their total to 487 on the season. That marks a new single-season school record, besting the previous mark of 483 in 2019. UC also broke the single-season stolen base record of 133, which was set in 2008, thanks to its three thefts.
// KNOXVILLE REGIONAL TICKET INFORMATION
Due to limited availability, fans are encouraged to purchase tickets through the secondary market on Tennessee's official re-sale marketplace at this link. A limited number of single-session standing room only tickets will be sold to the general public at the Lindsey Nelson Stadium ticket window starting 90 minutes prior to first pitch of each session.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee opened the scoring with a couple runs in the top of the first. A two-run single made it 2-0, and the Volunteers appeared to be positioned to score a few more before Derrick Pitts' incredible diving catch on a sinking liner into center ended the inning.
UT tacked on another run in the second, but Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom half to make it a 3-2 game. Jack Natili's RBI single got the Bearcats on the board, and Cal Sefcik's deep sacrifice fly made it a one-run ballgame. The Volunteers got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth to make it 4-2.
Four more Tennessee runs came in to score in the top of the sixth to make it 8-2.
Cincinnati did its best to cut into the deficit in the seventh, as Christian Mitchelle's solo homer was followed by a run-scoring passed ball that made it 8-4. A two-run single from Tennessee in the top of the ninth upped its lead back to six, 10-4.
The Bearcats did not go down without a fight. Quinton Coats' infield single scored a run to make it 10-5, then Cal Sefcik double down the line in right field to bring in a run and make it 10-6. The tying run stood in the on deck circle with two outs, but the UC rally would end there.
// KNOXVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Game times and TV designations will be updated as they become available and are always subject to change.
Friday, May 30
Game 1 – No. 3 Cincinnati 11, No. 2 Wake Forest 6
Game 2 – No. 1 Tennessee 9, No. 4 Miami (Ohio) 2
Saturday, May 31
Game 3 – No. 2 Wake Forest 14, No. 4 Miami (Ohio) 13
Game 4 – No. 1 Tennessee 10, No. 3 Cincinnati 6
Sunday, June 1
Game 5 – No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 2 Wake Forest, Noon ET (ACC Network)
Game 6 – Winner of Game 5 vs. No. 1 Tennessee, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Monday, June 2
Game 7 (if necessary) – Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, TBD (TBD)
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Cincinnati will now face No. 2 seed Wake Forest on Sunday at noon in an elimination game. The game will be televised on ACC Network. The winner of that game will have to beat Tennessee twice to advance out of the Knoxville Regional.
The Volunteers scored twice in the top of the first, but the threat was halted after freshman Derrick Pitts' incredible diving catch. UT scored again in the third, and UC scored twice to make it a 3-2 game, but the defending champs continued to pile it on. Tennessee scored a run in the fourth and four more in the sixth to build an 8-2 advantage.
Junior Christian Mitchelle's solo homer sparked a two-run seventh inning that trimmed the deficit to four, 8-4, but the Vols responded with two more runs in the top of the ninth. The Bearcats didn't go down without a fight, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth and putting the tying run in the on deck circle, but the rally was cut short.
"Tip of the cap to Coach [Tony] Vitello and Tennessee," head coach Jordan Bischel said. "They swung the bats well. They had a good hitting approach and didn't give away any at-bats. We had a few free passes that bit us, but they get credit for those as well as they didn't chase a whole lot. We knew they would be good and we would have to play really well. We competed, but we just didn't play our best baseball."
Redshirt senior Kerrington Cross went 2-for-2 and walked three times, putting his batting average this season at .399. Freshman Quinton Coats also had two hits, and sophomore Cal Sefcik drove in two runs.
Redshirt senior Kellen O'Connor made the start, punching out four hitters in 5.1 innings of work. Freshman Adam Buczkowski pitched for the second straight game, and redshirt senior Brandon Scheurer tallied four strikeouts in 3.2 innings in relief.
Cincinnati pitchers recorded eight strikeouts on Saturday to bring their total to 487 on the season. That marks a new single-season school record, besting the previous mark of 483 in 2019. UC also broke the single-season stolen base record of 133, which was set in 2008, thanks to its three thefts.
// KNOXVILLE REGIONAL TICKET INFORMATION
Due to limited availability, fans are encouraged to purchase tickets through the secondary market on Tennessee's official re-sale marketplace at this link. A limited number of single-session standing room only tickets will be sold to the general public at the Lindsey Nelson Stadium ticket window starting 90 minutes prior to first pitch of each session.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee opened the scoring with a couple runs in the top of the first. A two-run single made it 2-0, and the Volunteers appeared to be positioned to score a few more before Derrick Pitts' incredible diving catch on a sinking liner into center ended the inning.
UT tacked on another run in the second, but Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom half to make it a 3-2 game. Jack Natili's RBI single got the Bearcats on the board, and Cal Sefcik's deep sacrifice fly made it a one-run ballgame. The Volunteers got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth to make it 4-2.
Four more Tennessee runs came in to score in the top of the sixth to make it 8-2.
Cincinnati did its best to cut into the deficit in the seventh, as Christian Mitchelle's solo homer was followed by a run-scoring passed ball that made it 8-4. A two-run single from Tennessee in the top of the ninth upped its lead back to six, 10-4.
The Bearcats did not go down without a fight. Quinton Coats' infield single scored a run to make it 10-5, then Cal Sefcik double down the line in right field to bring in a run and make it 10-6. The tying run stood in the on deck circle with two outs, but the UC rally would end there.
// KNOXVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Game times and TV designations will be updated as they become available and are always subject to change.
Friday, May 30
Game 1 – No. 3 Cincinnati 11, No. 2 Wake Forest 6
Game 2 – No. 1 Tennessee 9, No. 4 Miami (Ohio) 2
Saturday, May 31
Game 3 – No. 2 Wake Forest 14, No. 4 Miami (Ohio) 13
Game 4 – No. 1 Tennessee 10, No. 3 Cincinnati 6
Sunday, June 1
Game 5 – No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 2 Wake Forest, Noon ET (ACC Network)
Game 6 – Winner of Game 5 vs. No. 1 Tennessee, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Monday, June 2
Game 7 (if necessary) – Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, TBD (TBD)
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.