PHOTOS | UC baseball sweeps North Alabama in four-game series

The University of Cincinnati (UC) baseball team completed a dominant four-game sweep of the University of North Alabama (UNA) Lions over the weekend, bringing the team to a .500 record, 6-6, after a 2-6 start.  

After a loss in their home opener, the Bearcats were ready to bounce back in a big way against the Lions on Saturday. UC did that and more, winning game one of Saturday’s doubleheader 9-0.

Graduate transfer Dylan Brosky tossed a shortened complete game shutout, posting seven strikeouts in seven innings. Redshirt freshman C.J. Dean hit his first career home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, one of three Bearcats with multiple hits – joined by redshirt sophomore Kerrington Cross and redshirt junior J.P. Sponseller. 

In the second half of Saturday’s twin bill, sophomore pitcher Garrett Harker took the mound. His day did not go as smoothly as Brosky’s, however, as he was lifted after 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs.

His offense would make sure he didn’t receive the loss, though, as they would score eight more times before the fifth inning was over – capped off by a single from junior captain Cole Harting. 

North Alabama would make things close, drawing within one run in the ninth inning. Abilene Christian transfer Mitch White would get the save for UC to complete the Saturday sweep.

The Bearcat offense scored nine runs in both games on Saturday.

Junior starter Chase Hopewell started the first of two games on Sunday, hoping to pitch UC to a series win. He did exactly that, putting the Bearcats in a position to win the third of four games, going five 1/3 innings, allowing only five hits and one earned run while striking out four.

The only blemish on Hopewell’s record was a solo home run by UNA’s Dominick McIntyre, which tied the game 1-1. The score would remain the same until the eighth inning when Oral Roberts transfer Alec Jones hit a walk-off single to drive in C.J. Dean and win the game 2-1. 

In the Bearcat throwback uniforms, true freshman southpaw Chase Horst took to the hill in the final game of the weekend. 

The Bearcats wasted no time in giving Horst the lead, with Jones and Ryan Nicholson hitting back-to-back home runs. This was the first time two UC batters would go back-to-back since April 3, 2022. Lauden Brooks would go deep as well, launching his first career home run.

For Chase Horst, the only mark on his record was a home run by UNA catcher Andin Johnson in the third. 

After a series of walks and errors, the Bearcat lead would reach 7-1, but the rest of the game was smooth sailing for UC. Chase Horst grabbed his first collegiate win, the final score being 8-1 after a long Griffin Hugus home run.

The Bearcats outscored the Lions 28 to 10 in the series, giving UC their first four-game sweep since May of 2021 against Tulane. 

Next up for the Bearcats is a trip to Richmond, Kentucky, to play Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), followed by a trip to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to play the Wofford College Terriers. 

First pitch against the EKU Colonels is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.