WICHITA, Kan. – Jake Hansen slapped a two-out, two-run single in the top of the 14th, and Cincinnati held on for a 7-5 win over Wichita State on Friday night at Eck Stadium. The game lasted four hours and 37 minutes, far and away the longest game of the season for the Shockers.
The Shockers (13-21) rallied in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 5-5 courtesy of an Andrew Stewart sacrifice fly, but both offenses were silenced thereafter. The two teams got just one runner apiece to third base over the next five innings, thanks to brilliant relief work from WSU's Connor Holden and Cincinnati's Garrett Harker (2-1). Holden went a season-long 4.0 scoreless innings with six strikeouts, allowing just three hits, and Harker blanked the Shockers over six innings while surrendering only one hit.
The Bearcats (15-18, 5-3) finally broke through in the 14th against Wichita State reliever Ryan Stuempfig (0-1). Cole Harting reached on a one-out error and stole second, followed by an intentional walk to Wyatt Stapp. A wild pitch moved the two runners to second and third, but Stuempfig recovered to strike out Max Palmieri for the second out. Hansen then grounded a 1-2 pitch through the left side to plate Harting and Stapp with the go-ahead runs.
Wichita State made things interesting in the bottom of the 14th, as Chuck Ingram extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a leadoff single and Sawyre Thornhill coaxed a one-out walk. But Cincinnati reliever Ryan Steckline struck out Xavier Casserilla and then retired Jack Sigrist on a grounder to shortstop to end the game and secure his second save.
The walk drawn in the 14th inning by Thornhill was his fifth of the game, matching a program record. The last Shocker to draw five walks in a contest was Derek Schermerhorn against Northern Colorado in 2006.
Cincinnati chased Wichita State starter Jace Miner after 3.1 innings, surging to a 4-1 lead. Jordan Rogers brought the Shockers within one with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, his first collegiate home run. Casserilla then tied the game in the seventh on a two-out RBI single, knotting the score at 4-4.
Palmieri sliced a go-ahead homer in the top of the eighth to make it 5-4, but Stewart's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning evened up the score once again.
The game featured a combined 487 pitches thrown by ten different pitchers. Wichita State hurlers struck out 18, tied for the fifth most in a game in program history.
The Shockers and Bearcats wrap up the series on Saturday. First pitch from Eck Stadium is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
Apr 16, 2022
Shockers lose in extra innings Friday to Cincinnati
Posted Apr 16, 2022 10:19 AM