WICHITA, Kan. – Cincinnati got a pair of home runs from Griffin Merritt and scored six times in the top of the sixth to blow open a close game, knocking off Wichita State 9-5 on Thursday night at Eck Stadium.
With the score at 3-2 Bearcats entering the sixth, Cincinnati started the inning with five hits in their first six trips to the plate against Wichita State starter
Jace Kaminska (2-4) and reliever
Adam Ketelsen. Paul Komistek and Joe Powell had back-to-back doubles to bring home a trio of runs, and after a strikeout Merritt launched a two-run homer to center for a 9-2 lead.
The Shockers (13-20) started to crawl back into the game in the bottom of the inning, getting a run-scoring single from
Jordan Rogers that made it 9-3. Rogers finished with a career-best three hits, including a pair of doubles. In the seventh,
Chuck Ingram slammed a long two-run home run to straightaway center, slicing the Cincinnati lead to 9-5. It was the team-leading tenth home run of the season for Ingram.
Wichita State had a number of opportunities to pull closer over the final three innings, putting runners at the corners with one out in the seventh, at the corners with nobody out in the eighth, and loading the bases with one out in the ninth. In each instance, Cincinnati relievers slammed the door, as the combination of Ryan Steckline and Max Bergmann kept the Shockers off the board. Bergmann nailed down his first save, striking out pinch-hitter
Garrett Kocis with the bases loaded in the ninth to end the game.
Cincinnati starter Conner Linn (3-1) pitched well to earn the victory, allowing eight hits and three runs over six innings. Kaminska was tagged with the loss, surrendering six runs over 5.1 innings, despite striking out nine.
Merritt gave Cincinnati a 3-0 lead with a two-out, three-run homer in the top of the third, but the Shockers cut the advantage to one with single runs in the fourth and fifth.
Payton Tolle got the scoring started with a sacrifice fly, and
Couper Cornblum blooped a double to make it 3-2 before the decisive sixth inning.
Xavier Casserilla led the way offensively for Wichita State with a career-best four hits.
The Shockers and Bearcats continue the series on Friday night at 6:00 pm.
