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Cincinnati Falls at Xavier, 4-3

Quinton Coats hits 19th home run of the season, five away from breaking single-season school record

Cincinnati Falls at Xavier, 4-3Cincinnati Falls at Xavier, 4-3
Kyle Dressman
Box Score

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team dropped its Tuesday afternoon contest at Xavier by a score of 4-3.

The game was tied at 2-2 before junior Jack Natili ripped a double into the corner in left field to score sophomore Derrick Pitts and give UC a lead. Xavier scored two in the bottom of the ninth, however, to win in walk-off fashion.

The loss dropped the Bearcats’ record to 19-8 on the season.

Sophomore Quinton Coats went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in the third inning, his 19th home run of the season. He already entered the game as the nation’s home run leader and he put himself one step closer to the single-season school record. Coats is now four away from tying Mike Spina’s record of 23 home runs set in 2009.

Coats, Pitts, and Natili combined for seven of the Bearcats’ 11 hits, with Natili collecting three and Pitts adding two. Redshirt sophomore Charlie Niehaus also had a two-hit day.

Six different pitchers saw time on the mound on Tuesday. Senior Dillon Schueler made the start and struck out four in 2.1 frames, and sophomore Adam Buczkowski matched those numbers in relief. For Buczkowski, it was his longest outing of the season and he tied his season-best strikeout total. Schueler’s four K’s also matched his season high.

Cincinnati hosts Kansas this weekend, with the series beginning on Friday at 6:00 p.m.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The Bearcats scored one in the top of the first on an RBI single from Enzo Infelise. Jackson Smith was plunked to start the game and Derrick Pitts singled to put runners at first and second, then Infelise poked one through the left side to bring in Smith.
  • Quinton Coats hit his 19th home run of the season in the top of the third, launching a 3-2 pitch deep to center field to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.
  • Xavier had one hit in the bottom of the first and one in the bottom of the second, but after that UC’s pitchers kept them out of the hit column until the bottom of the seventh.
  • The Musketeers tied the game at 2-2 in that inning off a two-run home run from Jorge Valdes.
  • Jack Natili’s RBI double into the left field corner scored Derrick Pitts all the way from first and gave UC the lead once again in the top of the ninth.
  • Xavier’s Luke Hammond hit a one-out, solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 3-3, then Jonathan Fitz drove in the game-winning run on a single to left field.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Following Tuesday’s game at Xavier, UC will host Kansas this upcoming weekend and welcomes Wright State to UC Baseball Stadium next Tuesday, March 31.

Game one vs. KU on Friday is set for a 6:00 p.m. start, game two on Saturday will be at 3:00 p.m., and the finale on Sunday will begin at 1:00 p.m.

Visit this link to purchase your Cincinnati Baseball tickets!

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