CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bearcats scored 10 unanswered runs to break a tie and runaway late for a 14-4 win in Wednesday's non-conference matchup with the Milwaukee Panthers at UC Baseball Stadium.
 
Caden Headlee led Milwaukee with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate and drove in a run while Thomas Otto drove in a team-best two runs. Gabe Roessler had an RBI during Milwaukee's three-run second inning.
 
UC jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead off Panther starter Tristan Arnold in the first, before Aiden Fishnick came on to extinguish the rally.
 
"It was not a great start to a game with a high quality opponent from the Big 12," said head coach Shaun Wegner. "We went down 1-2-3 in the first and we gifted them three right out of the shoot."
 
The Panthers rallied in the top half of the second as Headlee and Tate Schmidt walked ahead of Otto's two-run knock. Three batters later, Roessler plated Otto to score the tying run and level the score at three.
 
"Credit to the at bats for battling back and answering with a three-spot in the second," added Wegner. "But we couldn't get more going after that."
 
Fishnick pitched well as he finished the game with a team-high three innings on the mound with a strikeout. He did allow one run on a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth as Cincinnati regained the advantage.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Panthers clawed back to even again as Justin Hausser led off the inning with a double and later scored on a single by Headlee.
 
Cincinnati scored two in the bottom half of the fifth, which propelled the team to 10 unanswered over the next four innings to finish off the game in the bottom of the eighth. The Bearcats took advantage of eight walks, three hit batters, and three wild pitches to aid their 12-hit effort against Panther pitching.
 
"You can't give away free bases and extra outs like we did tonight and expect a positive outcome," added Wegner.
 
Christian Mitchelle led the Bearcat offense with three RBIs, while Cal Sefcik and Dawson Hokuf each drove in a pair. Hudson Johnson pitched 2 2/3 scoreless in relief for UC, while Adam Mrakitsch pitched the final four innings and allowed one run while striking out five.
 
Milwaukee will open a Horizon League series against Wright State at Nischwitz Stadium on Friday afternoon. First pitch against the Raiders will be at 2:00 p.m. (CT).