Dax Goff and David Hicks hit home runs and Dunn Daniel drove in four runs for the Bearcats in a 16-2 five inning win over Hackett Tuesday at the Billy Kiersey Baseball/Softball Complex.
On the mound Peyton Tatum (2-1) picked up his second win with four innings of work in which he allowed just one hit and a pair of unearned runs coming in an inning in which the Hornets did not register a hit.
Tatum was also 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and two walks and scored four times.
The Bearcats set the tone early with a seven run first in which Brooks Herrera singled. He moved to third on an errant pickoff throw.
After Rhett Nietert was hit by a pitch the freshman was in the process of stealing on a passed ball and Herrera scored. Goff followed with his fourth home run of the season, a two run shot run to right.
Tatum restarted the attack with a single and was at second with a steal when Daniel singled for his first RBI of the day to make it 4-0. Matt O’Bar singled home Daniel after a steal and it was 5-0.
After Jace Washburn (2-for-3) singled, Conner Lentz earned an RBI with a ground out, and an infield fly ball that fell safely to the ground scored another to make it 7-0.
Nietert would be hit with a pitch for a second time before the inning ended.
A walk and an error started the Hackett second. A ground ball got one run home and a second error got a second home to make it 7-2.
The Bearcats got both of those runs back in the bottom of the inning after walks to Tatum and O’Bar a Washburn single scored a run and a ground ball by Hicks resulted in a fielder's choice, another error and a run to make it 9-2.
In the top of the third Hackett loaded the bases with a double and a pair of walks but Tatum got out of it with back-to-back strikeouts.
In the home half of the inning consecutive walks issued to Herrera and Nietert, and a double steal was followed by Goff driving in his third run with a fly ball. A round ball by Daniel earned an RBI through it was misplayed and two scored for a 12-2 lead.
Hicks (shown) led off the Bearcat fourth with a solo home run to right-center and Dylan Todd reached on an error. After two were down Goff singled for his second hit and Tatum drove in two with a double. Daniel drove in two more with his second hit of the day for a 16-2 lead.
Makin his second appearance of the year Washburn finished up on the mound pitching around the third Bearcat error of the day.
The Bearcats are scheduled to travel to Charleston on Thursday and host Waldron on Friday before starting spring break.
