GOFF, BEARCATS HOLD OFF CHARLESTON

Clinging to a 5-4 lead and with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, Dax Goff induced a ground ball to Matt O’Bar at first to avoid damage and the Bearcats went on to a 7-4 win over Charleston Thursday.

Goff (1-0) was done at that point, having thrown 105 pitches as Charleston drew five walks to counter five strikeouts. The Tigers also had six hits.

Goff was not finished at the plate, however. He led off the bottom of the fifth against a Tiger reliever with his second home run of the year for a 6-4 lead.

The Bearcats, who moved to 3-0 in conference play, gad two aboard after and error allowed Rylen Ray to reach and a walk to Parker Smith, but could not get a two-out hit.

Rhett Nietert issued a walk to the leadoff hitter in the sixth but sat down the next six Tigers to earn his first save.

Nietert had a little more breathing room in the seventh because Conner Lentz had an infield single for his second hit of the day and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dylan Todd which brought Goff up again. Goff singled for his third RBI and it was 7-4.

The Bearcats opened a 5-0 lead through two innings, chasing the Tiger starter in the process.
Goff doubled home Nietert (2-for-4) for a 1-0 lead but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.

There were two down and two aboard in the second – Jace Washburn (shown in the field) was hit by a pitch in his first at bat of the year and Smith walked – when Lentz singled home two.

Nietert’s second hit scored Lentz and Ray reached on an error to score a run for a 5-0 lead.

Charleston got two runs back on a double and a wild pitch in the third then cut the deficit to 5-4 on a run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

The Bearcats are next scheduled to play on Monday against Pottsville at the Kiersey Complex.