TicketsPROVO, Utah – The University of Cincinnati baseball team played a back-and-forth affair on Saturday in its series finale at BYU, but eventually fell by a score of 10-9 in the rubber match.
Down to its final three outs, UC strung together back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the ninth and used a sacrifice bunt to put both in scoring position. Both runners remained there when the game ended, however, as the rally fell just short.
The Bearcats got off to a hot start on Saturday, scoring in each of the first four innings to take a 7-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. BYU took over and scored in each of the next four innings, using a four-run sixth inning to take its first lead of the day, 8-7. The Cougars scored two more in the eighth to go up 10-7, and while Cincinnati scored twice in the eighth to pull within a run, that’s as close as it would get.
Sophomore Quinton Coats homered in his first at-bat of the game, his 14th home run of the year. That puts him in a tie with Georgia’s Daniel Jackson for the Division I home run lead.
Coats went back-to-back in the first inning with Junior Jack Natili, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. He and freshman Enzo Infelise provided the ninth-inning hits, with Infelise going 3-for-5 at the plate on Saturday.
Sophomore Jackson Smith was 2-for-4 at the dish and was hit by a pitch as well, the 15th time he’s been plunked so far this year. His 15 HBP put him into a tie for first place nationally with two others. He also extended his on-base streak to 20 games, having reached base safely in every single game he has played in this season.
Redshirt senior Adam Brouwer threw 5.2 innings as UC’s starting pitcher, tied for his longest outing of the season.
Cincinnati will remain out west and place two against Utah Valley on Monday and Tuesday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Quinton Coats and Jack Natili went back-to-back in the top of the first to give Cincinnati an early 2-0 lead.
- UC scored two more in the second, bringing in runs on a sacrifice fly from Charlie Niehaus and a single off the bat of Jackson Smith to make it 4-0.
- A two-run BYU double in the bottom of the second halved Cincinnati’s lead, making the score 4-2.
- The Bearcats responded with a couple run-scoring base hits in the top of the third. Enzo Infelise and Conlan Daniel both drove in runs to up the lead back to four, 6-2.
- Natili drove in another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly.
- A solo homer by BYU’s Easton Jones made it a 7-3 ballgame.
- The Cougars went on to score in each of the next three innings as well. They took the lead with a four-run sixth inning and added two more on a homer in the seventh, putting UC in a 10-7 hole.
- A defensive highlight for UC in the sixth inning came from Derrick Pitts, who robbed a home run in right field with a spectacular leaping grab.
- The Bearcats made it a one-run game in the eighth. Christian Mitchelle drew a leadoff walk and Jackson Smith doubled to put two runners in scoring position. After a lengthy at-bat, Pitts drove both of his teammates in with a base hit into center field to make it 10-9.
- Natili led off the ninth with a single, and Enzo Infelise singled as well to put two runners on. Jackson Reardon’s sacrifice bunt put both in scoring position with one out, but UC was unable to drive either run in.
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