Bearcats Score 10 En Route to Win Over Xavier

Anytime the Cincinnati Bearcats defeat the Xavier Musketeers its a good thing. Such a thing happened yesterday evening when the Bearcat offense carried the day in a 10-7 win over the Musketeers in the baseball rendition of the Crosstown Shootout at Marge Schott Stadium.

UC (18-17) got going early with three runs in the first inning. All three were more the fault of Xavier than the power of the Bearcats’ bats. First Joey Thomas scored on a bases loaded walk. Eric Santiago then pushed across a run after reaching via catcher’s interference and Treg Haberkorn wore a pitch to bring in one more.

While Xavier would respond with two runs in the top of the second, the Bearcats came right back in the bottom part of the frame to extend their lead back to three as Cole Murphy laced a two-run single up the middle. That chased Xavier starter Sam Czabala from the game and got UC a chance to face the Musketeers’ bullpen.

Xavier did punch back once more, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth, but once again UC was there to respond, with Connor McVey smacking an RBI double later in the inning. UC would add four more runs along the way, helping to subdue a three-run inning from the Musketeers in the eighth.

Even with the win, UC’s pitching was not entirely on point. In just his third career start, Tristan Hammans allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in a trio of innings. Jalen Wade came in to relieve him and was tagged with five runs (three earned) in four innings. Clayton Colvin was the best pitcher on the day for both teams, as he pitched two scoreless innings to earn his second save of the year.

While the hurlers were struggling, UC’s bats were as loud as ever. Kyle Mottice (2-for-5, two runs), Manny Rodriguez (2-for-4, two runs), Murphy (2-for-4, four RBI) and Haberkorn (2-for-4, RBI, run) all had multi-hit games, as the Bearcats went 13-for-35 as a team. They also worked nine walks, but did strike out 12 times and leave a dozen on base.

Cincinnati will now carry a brief two-game winning streak into this weekend’s series against the UConn Huskies.