CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. -- Campbellsville University fell behind early and was unable to recover in a seven-inning, non-conference loss, 12-4, Tuesday evening to Trevecca Nazarene University.
Campbellsville scored all four of its runs on two-run home runs in the third and ninth innings.
Chance Kopacz was the first Tiger to hit one out, giving CU a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third on a shot straight down the leftfield line.
Gibby Briones followed with a pinch-hit shot to left in the ninth after Tony Rossetto led off the inning with a single.
Trevecca Nazarene designated hitter, Matt Tidwell, started the home run show with a solo shot in the first inning to give Trevecca an early 1-0 lead. He added another solo shot in the fourth.
Tidwell paced Trevecca throughout the game, going 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBIs. After the Trojans added a pair of runs in the second on an RBI from Michael Maxwell and a passed ball, Tidwell collected a one-out single to start a five-run, six-hit third inning. Luke Fennell followed with a base knock, before Blake Rogers drove in both Trojans with a two-out double. Ty Wallin and Maxwell each singled before Matt Dobbins doubled in two more runs. After the top of the third, Trevecca held an 8-0 lead.
Tiger starting pitcher
Andrew Shoemaker was pulled after three innings, allowed seven earned runs off nine hits.
Danny Bright pitched the fourth, giving up Tidwell's second home run before
Phillip Gerber came in to pitch in the fifth.
Gerber struck out two of his first four batters faced, the first strikeouts of the game. In the sixth, Trevecca was back at its scoring ways after being held scoreless in an inning for the first time in the game. Tidwell, Fennell and Wallin each had RBI singles in the inning, as Gerber was charged with one earned run and two unearned in the four-hit inning.
Rusty Devitt took over on the mound for CU with two outs in the sixth and struck out the first three batters he faced, as he closed the seventh without allowing a base runner. He now has 29 strikouts on the season in 22 innings pitched, good for a rating of 11.86 strikeouts per nine innings.
Dakota Angell pitched a complete game for the Trojans, holding Campbellsville to seven hits.
Kopacz (2-for-4) and
Craig Edwards (2-for-3) had all of the Tigers' four hits through the first five innings.
Rylan Chin collected a single in the sixth before Rossetto and Briones provided offense to start the bottom of the seventh.
Campbellsville (28-13) will return to Mid-South Conference play Friday, April 13 for game one of a three-game MSC series against the University of the Cumberlands at Tiger Field. The game will be broadcast on WLCU 88.7 FM (
wlcfum.com).