CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Campbellsville University struggled to collect hits in the first eight innings of the game Tuesday night as they fell to Union College, 8-4, despite a brief ninth-inning rally at HIG Field.

The Tigers did not collect their first hit of the game until the third inning on a drag bunt single by Josh Potter, which was CU's only hit until the ninth.

Trailing 8-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, CU strung together three runs on four hits to cut the Bulldogs' lead in half. Ryan Squires led off the ninth with a single to right and was held at third after Keaton Neeb doubled off the centerfield fence. Josh Potter hit an RBI sac fly to score Squires and Michael Bush collected an RBI single to score Neeb's courtesy runner, Levi McCamish. With two outs, Angelo Simmons drove in Bush with an RBI single, but CU was unable to make up any more ground.

The damage was done in the middle innings for the Tigers, as Union scored four in the fifth and three in the sixth.

Campbellsville threw six arms, starting with Jeff Larabee, who was relieved after two innings by Drew Pettit. Pettit was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs in the fifth with two outs. He allowed only two hits but walked four. His three strikeouts were the most in the game.

With two down in the fifth, Pettit walked Ben Hartley, and then Lavance Anderson and Gabby Juarbe to load the bases. He then gave up a pair of 2-RBI singles by Nelson Price and Zach Dillman before being replaced on the mound by Mason Yates.

Yates escaped the inning, but saw his share of trouble in the sixth after giving up back-to-back singles to Jackson Arnett and Jarred Tomany. Anderson and Juarbe later followed with a pair of one-out, RBI singles, while another run scored on an error to stretch Union's lead to seven runs.

Prior to the fifth the bulk of the offense for both teams came in the first inning. Union used two hits and an error to get on the board in the top of the first on an RBI single by Dillman. In the bottom half of the inning, the Tigers took advantage of poor fielding by Union. Tanner Nielsen reached on an error and then took second and third on a hit-and-run sacrifice bunt by Squires. With the defense not paying attention, nor calling time, Nielsen swiped home with no one covering the plate.

Trey Alexander recorded the win for Union after allowing only one run off a hit and two walks through six innings of work. Justin King pitched the last three innings for his second save of the season. The only offense he allowed was in the Tigers' ninth.

CU (22-8) will travel to Morehead State University for a non-conference game Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. EDT in Morehead, Ky. Live audio and stats will be available at MSUEagles.com or by clicking on the links in the Tiger Scoreboard on CampbellsvilleTigers.com.