TicketsHOUSTON — Two excellent starting pitching performances, coupled with Conlan Daniel's four-hit game and highlight-reel defensive plays, powered the No. 23 Bearcats to a doubleheader sweep at Houston, 3-2 and 8-1, on Saturday.
The Bearcats (31-17, 12-11 Big 12) will go for the series sweep Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
It was Cincinnati's third doubleheader of the year, previously splitting with Austin Peay on Feb. 28 before run-ruling UC San Diego twice on March 6.
GAME ONE (3-2)
Taylor's seven complete innings marked the sixth time in his last seven starts that he pitched into the seventh. His 11 strikeouts both matched a career-high and put him in a tie for fourth in single-season history with 98. The record is 109, held by Bill Faul in 1961.
Taylor had seven Ks through the first three innings, including five in a row at one point.
Cincinnati struck first after a two-out dropped fly ball in right field allowed Quinton Coats to score from first. The Bearcats scored twice in the second in a more conventional manner: Enzo Infelise doubled, Cal Sefcik bunted him over, Christian Mitchelle doubled again, then Jackson Smith drove him in with an RBI single two batters later.
And yet, that was it for the offense. Houston starter Kendall Hoffman produced one of the more throwback outings of the entire college baseball season, lasting 8 1/3 innings on 131 pitches. Cincinnati did not reach third base against him after the second inning despite 10 hits.
The Cougars manufactured runs in the fifth and sixth. Bullpen ace Adam Buczkowski entered in the eighth for his team-high 22nd appearance and seamlessly notched his fourth save.
GAME TWO (8-1)
Freshman Connor Blue set the tone early with only 16 pitches through the first two innings. His six innings were a career-high (previously 4 2/3), and Cincinnati has won each of his last three starts. He finished with 71 pitches out of 23 batters faced.
Enzo Infelise's solo homer in the third preceded six runs and eight hits combined over the fourth and fifth innings as UC built its insurmountable lead.
Daniel singled each of his first three at-bats before putting the (offensive) exclamation point in the seventh with an opposite-field blast. He followed that feat in the bottom half by robbing one in the deepest part of the outfield, then charging in for a diving grab in the eighth.
Eight of nine starters hit safely in the nightcap. Adam Brouwer threw a scoreless seventh and eighth, while freshman Alex Gonzalez struck out two in the ninth to finish the job.