TicketsCINCINNATI — Despite only three hits in the first seven innings, the Cincinnati baseball team strung together six, including five in a row to begin the eighth, and rally to a 7-5 win over No. 12 West Virginia on Sunday afternoon.
Cincinnati (29-17, 10-11 Big 12) moved to 5-2 on the year against ranked teams, which comes on the heels of taking 2-of-3 at No. 21 UCF last weekend. This marks the program's highest-ranked series win since defeating the No. 6 Knights in 2015. West Virginia (28-12, 13-8 Big 12) had only lost consecutive games once this season prior.
"I'm awfully proud of our guys," head coach Jordan Bischel said. "It was obviously a tough 13-inning loss in Game 1, and it's two weeks in a row playing a ranked team, but to lose the first game and battle back to win the series, I couldn't be more proud of our guys and the depth of our team showing up. When we're short on the mound, a guy like Brenden Garula could step in, and we trusted him to do the job.
"And the bigger thing than all of it was the band out here, the fans out here, the atmosphere. That's what it's all about. We want to make the city of Cincinnati proud. We want to make the university proud, and the fan support was awesome today."
Mason product Brenden Garula entered in the eighth with a three-run deficit and got back-to-back strikeouts. After an infield single (where Jackson Smith saved a run with his dive up the middle), a groundout ended the threat with the bases loaded.
Cincinnati's eighth saw its Nos. 2-6 hitters all single consecutively, beginning with Ryan Tyranski extending his hit streak to 14 games. With runners on second and third and the game tied, an errant throw by West Virginia's catcher on a pickoff attempt hit Conlan Daniel on his way back, allowing him to score and Enzo Infelise to move up. Christian Mitchelle then singled him in for the 7-5 lead.
Garula needed only seven pitches, helped by a first-pitch lineout and bunt to start the ninth, to seal the deal. It was his first win of the season.
Notable feats, in addition to Tyranski, included Jackson Smith drawing his 21st hit-by-pitch, which tied him with Josh Harrison (2006) for second in program history. Infelise has also reached safely in 28-straight games.
Freshman Connor Blue made his seventh start (13th appearance) and went 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and three runs (two earned). Dominic Mauro threw the next 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs.
WVU scored first on a double play in the second, followed by a squeeze in the third.
Cincinnati scored both of its initial runs in the fifth inning. Smith's squeeze attempt turned into a bunt single, then Tyranski followed with a sac fly that cut it to 3-2.
The Mountaineers extended the lead to 5-2 in the seventh after a two-run single.
The Bearcats return to action Friday at Houston to begin a seven-game road trip. It is their first week this year without a midweek game.