Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Strong pitching and high number of hits extended Campbellsville University's win streak to nine games Friday, as the Tigers swept St. Catharine College in a Mid-South Conference doubleheader at Tiger Field, 13-3 and 10-0.
Ian Pick (8-0) and
Jared Lunardi (5-1) picked up the complete-game wins for the Tigers, throwing less than 80 pitches each, while CU pounded out 23 runs on 31 hits, five walks and three errors in the two games.
"Better thinking, better preparation, better enthusiasm," said CU head coach Beauford Sanders about the ingredients of the win streak. "I'm wanting them to think about the process, and that's why we're doing so much better. Everyone is dialed in between the ears. We're not stronger or running faster. We're running smarter. We're hitting smarter. We're pitching smart. Everything has picked up."
The Tigers closed the day with another near no-hitter by Lunardi. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native went the distance in the six-inning 10-0 win. He faced 20 batters and was hitless through 5 2/3 innings until Chris Smith drove a single up the middle in the sixth inning. The only other St. Catharine base runner was Jeremy Turpin, who reached on a Colin Bryan error in the third inning.
CU gave Lunardi plenty of run support, scoring runs in every inning by the fifth. Logan Smith led the way with three RBIs off four hits. He followed a Brian Chase solo home run in the third inning with one of his own. He also drove in runs in the first and fourth innings and finished the day with a 7-of-8 doubleheader performance at the plate.
Campbellsville hit .500 in the second game, collecting 15 hits. Michael Caleb, who grounded into two double plays in the first game, had three hits and scored three runs in the night cap. Chase and Zac Townsend were both 2-for-2 at the plate, while freshman Steve Oiler drove in two runs with a pinch-hit double in the sixth inning to pull the Tigers within a run of the 10-run rule. Luke Gadow knocked in the game-ending run with a single.
In the first game, Campbellsville closed out the win early with a five-run sixth inning. Caleb collected his one hit of the game by blasting a 3-1 pitch over the centerfield fence for a solo home run. The Tigers added their next three runs with an RBI double by Smith and a two-RBI, pinch-hit double from Craig Edwards in his first at bat from injury. Ponich ended the game with a sacrifice fly that scored Gadow.
Smith and Ponich led the Tigers in the first game with three hits each. Ponich led off the game with a double and scored CU's first run.
Richie Rowland doubled into the Patriots' bullpen to put two runners in scoring position in the third inning. The pair scored on a two-out single to shallow right field by Colin Bryan. After stealing second, Bryan slid safely into home on a single by Jameel Ziadeh to stretch the Tigers' lead out to 5-1.
St. Catharine pitcher Luther Bramblett hit back-to-back Tiger batters with one out to load the bases in the fifth. Ziadeh reached on an error at short that scored Jordan Alves. Two more runs scored on RBIs from Gadow and Ponich.
Brian Jones scored St. Catharine's first run of the game and drove it the third. Smith drove in the other Patriot run.
Campbellsville (25-12, 15-2 MSC) will host St. Catharine (25-17, 10-8 MSC) for another doubleheader Saturday at Tiger Field beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday's game time was originally scheduled for noon.
PHOTO GALLERY
