HOUSTON – HBU junior centerfielder
Chase Talbot ripped a two-run triple in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, but Cincinnati came through with the decisive tally in the top of the 12
th to edge the Huskies, 5-4, and salvage the non-conference baseball series finale Sunday afternoon at Husky Field.
Talbot went 3-for-5 with the triple and two RBIs for HBU (4-3). Senior leftfielder
Anthony Jones went 1-for-4 with a pair of walks and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to seven games.
Senior righthander
Brady Batten took a no-decision, allowing two unearned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Senior
JT Newton gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks in three innings, while senior lefty
Taylor Franzman (0-1) took the loss, allowing a run on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk in three innings.
Jace Mercer went 4-for-7 with a double, an RBI and a run for the Bearcats (1-5), while Dondrae Bremner went 3-for-5. Joey Wiemer was 2-for-4 with two walks, Eric Santiago was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run and AJ Bumpass scored twice for Cincinnati.
Nick Murray (1-0) picked up the win, shutting HBU out on three hits with a strikeout and two walks over the final three innings. Starter Garrett Shoenle allowed two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and six walks in five innings.
The Bearcats scored a pair of unearned runs in the first on a misplayed fly ball to take a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth, sophomore second baseman
Hayden Baker led off with a single, then senior designated hitter
Erik Voller followed with a walk. Junior shortstop
Cal Clark followed with a bunt single up the third base line to load the bases with no outs. Jones came through with an RBI single, then junior third baseman
Trent Franson grounded into a double play to tie the game, 2-2.
Cincinnati scored a run in the eighth on an RBI bunt single by Santiago, then tacked on a run in the ninth on a throwing error by HBU to take a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Clark and Jones drew back-to-back walks, before Franson grounded out for the second out. Talbot then rocked the first pitch he saw deep to right for a two-run triple to tie the game, 4-4.
Santiago led off the 12
th with a single, then went to second on Nate Meyer's sacrifice bunt. Mercer then hit a bloop double to centerfielder to give the Bearcats a 5-4 lead.
The Huskies left a runner stranded at third in the ninth, 10
th, 11
th and 12
th innings.
HBU returns to action when it hits the road to face Texas A&M Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Blue Bell Park in College Station.
