Baseball

No. 8 Tigers split home-opening double header

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Tiger fans couldn't have asked for a more competitive home opener Sunday, as Campbellsville University edged Indiana Tech, 2-1, in extra innings, but the eighth-ranked Tigers fell in the night cap, 12-6.

The second-game loss drops CU to 3-3 on the year, after opening last season with a 7-2 record in February.



"I still think we're going to be alright," CU head coach Beauford Sanders said. "We have to keep working and mean what we say. We have to start taking care of business."

In game one, Campbellsville took care of business with the help of one extra inning. The Tigers scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth, as Colin Bryan scored on a passed ball that skipped past Tech catcher Starry and rolled to the backstop. The Tigers had the bases loaded with one out when the play occurred.

Bryan gave CU a 1-0 lead in the third inning, scoring on a double to deep left field by Alex Ponich.

Jared Lunardi (1-0) got the start on the mound in the home opener and was perfect through five and hitless through six innings. The Santa Rosa, Calif., junior struck out eight in his home debut but earned a no decision after exiting the game in the seventh.

"Lunardi did an excellent job. It was a real pitchers' duel and a great game both ways," Sanders said.

Lunardi gave up a walk and a base hit before being relieved by senior Ian Pick, who inherited runners on the corners. Pick, in his first appearance of the season due to injury, gave up a game-tying run on a fielder's choice by Scott Tabrett that scored Gary King. While the save opportunity was blown, Pick (1-0) went on to pick up the win in the eighth.

"We're going to have to have (Pick) and find a role from him," Sanders said. "Coming off the injury, it was good to see him get in there and have some success."

Game two was nearly the exact opposite, as the Warriors rocked Tiger pitcher Eric Mattos for five runs in the first inning and back-to-back solo home runs in the second from Justin Medeiros and Tabrett. Mattos exited the game early after giving up six earned runs off five hits and two walks.

Campbellsville answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on a two-RBI double from Logan Smith, but Tech put another five-spot on the board in the fourth to take a 12-2 lead.

With the Tigers facing being 10-run ruled for the first time since last April, Ponich clocked a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence for the Tigers' first home run at Tiger Field this season and only second overall. The homer kept the game alive with CU trailing, 12-3.

CU's bats came alive after that, scoring four more in the sixth inning.

Steve Oiler struck out to lead off the inning, but CU went on to scored four runs of RBIS from Tyler Craig, Ponich, Bryan and Richie Rowland. Oiler struck out again with the bases loaded to end the game early due to darkness.

"Our two strike approach got so much better later in the game and we started to go opposite field late in the game, like we preach," Sanders said. "We showed some scrap, but it's still hard with Mattos getting shelled the way he did in the first and second."

While the game was called early due to darkness, it is one of the last chances that will happen at Tiger Field, as lights were installed in January as part of the "More Than a Game" campaign that added lights to both the baseball and football fields and will add synthetic turf for football. The lights are planned to operational in the next couple of weeks.

CU (3-3) will host Indiana Tech again on Monday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available for the game via Dakstats.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Colin Bryan

#17 Colin Bryan

UTIL
Senior
Tyler Craig

#1 Tyler Craig

OF/3B
Junior
Jared Lunardi

#18 Jared Lunardi

P
Junior
Eric Mattos

#33 Eric Mattos

RHP
Senior
Steve Oiler

#14 Steve Oiler

UTIL
Sophomore
Ian Pick

#31 Ian Pick

P
Senior
Alex Ponich

#45 Alex Ponich

OF
Senior
Richie Rowland

#24 Richie Rowland

C
Junior
Logan Smith

#10 Logan Smith

C
Junior

Players Mentioned

Colin Bryan

#17 Colin Bryan

Senior
UTIL
Tyler Craig

#1 Tyler Craig

Junior
OF/3B
Jared Lunardi

#18 Jared Lunardi

Junior
P
Eric Mattos

#33 Eric Mattos

Senior
RHP
Steve Oiler

#14 Steve Oiler

Sophomore
UTIL
Ian Pick

#31 Ian Pick

Senior
P
Alex Ponich

#45 Alex Ponich

Senior
OF
Richie Rowland

#24 Richie Rowland

Junior
C
Logan Smith

#10 Logan Smith

Junior
C