Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Tiger Baseball extended its win streak to eight games after sweeping University of Rio Grande over the weekend. CU beat the RedStorm in an 11-inning game two thriller and survived late to pull off the sweep in game three, winning 5-2.

 

Campbellsville (25-14, 14-7 MSC) now sits in second place in the Mid-South Conference after the weekend sweep. Click HERE for complete MSC standings.

 

Rio Grande drops to 17-24 overall and 4-16 inside the MSC. The RedStorm now need to win out with their remaining conference schedule to have a chance at making the MSC Tournament in their final season as part of the conference and NAIA DI. The MSC Tournament is scheduled to start on May 1 at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky.

 

GAME ONE: Campbellsville 4, Rio Grande 3 – 11 innings – BOX SCORE

 

The Tigers and RedStorm were all knotted up at three runs apiece until Jacob Russell uncorked the tie with a single to right field scoring Gentry Kinsella from second base for the game-winning run.

 

Both teams went into the ninth inning, tied at two and Campbellsville picked up one of the most exciting plays in all of baseball — the TRIPLE play.

 

Relief pitcher Alex Watson collected a strikeout to the leadoff batter Daryin Lewis but the ball was in the dirt, forcing catcher Steve Ferraro to make a throw to first base. His throw sailed high allowing Lewis to reach on the play.

 

The RedStorm attempted to play small ball on the next at-bat, as Clark Rice laid down a sacrifice bunt but Ferraro's throw to second base was low and not in time to get the speedy Lewis on the fielders choice.

 

That put CU in a jam with runners on second and first with no outs and leadoff hitter Kevin Arroyo coming to the plate. He sent a missile line drive to the CU shortstop Ricky McColloch, who then stepped on second base and threw on to first to end the ninth-inning rally and record the triple play.

 

It was the second "Web Gem" worthy play of the game by McColloch, as he robbed Arroyo of a base hit earlier. Previously, McColloch picked up a hard-hit ball moving to the hole between shortstop and third base, he used a nifty back-hand catch while leaping in the air and throwing all in one motion to beat Arroyo to the first base bag.

 

Both teams were able to pick up single runs in the 10^th inning. Watson picked up two quick outs but surrendered a hit-by-pitch, walk and hit-by-pitch loading the bases for Rio Grande. Ferraro could not smother a ball in the dirt and the RedStorm were able to score the go ahead run, 3-2.

 

But Campbellsville answered, as Russell picked up a one-out single and advanced to third base on a double to deep right-center field by Alex Kline. Russell ended up scoring the tying run on a perfectly executed suicide-squeeze by Jaime Valle with bases loaded .

 

TR Dunne (4-0) came in, in the 11^th inning for CU and the Tigers surrendered a leadoff error and sacrifice bunt getting Lewis into scoring position but Dunne shut the door and was able to pick up the victory on the Russell game-winning RBI single.

 

Kyle Miller (3-5) picked up the loss for Rio Grande after coming on in relief of RedStorm ace David Steele who threw 142 pitches in nine and 1/3 innings.

 

Russell led the Tigers at the plate, going 3-for-6, with a run scored and RBI. Alex Kline (2-for-4) and Carlos Torres (2-for-6) also picked up multiple hits in the front-end of the double header.

  

GAME TWO: Campbellsville 5, Rio Grande 2 – BOX SCORE

 

Campbellsville used two runs in the fourth inning and picked up three runs in the fifth inning to allow Allen Hewey (5-1) to pick up his second-straight win.

 

Hewey was starting his second game of the season due to a depleted CU pitching staff. During the first five innings, Rio Grande was unable to record a hit but did reach base on two HBP's and a walk.

 

The RedStorm got to the tiring Hewey in the sixth, picking up two hits and scored a run on a sacrifice fly. He finished with six strikeouts in his five-plus innings of work.

 

CU went to the reliable TR Dunne once again out of the bullpen but Rio picked up three more hits in the inning, scoring another run, 5-2. Dunne picked up a strikeout and ground out to get the Tigers out of the second straight late-inning jam in as many games.

 

Rio Grande made a little noise in the top half of the seventh inning with help from the CU defense, but new CU pitcher Alex Kline used a strikeout and pop out to secure the sweep and Kline picked up his second save of the season.

 

Jaime Valle and Ryan Squires led CU with the stick in game three of the series, both going 2-for-2. Valle had two RBIs and Squires picked up one. Jacob Russell picked up a single and reached base three more times via two HBPs and a walk. Alex Scanlan and Alex Gutierrez both recorded hits in the win.

 

Eric Ford (0-6) picked up the loss in game three of the series, as CU scored all five runs against the Rio Grande starter.

 

Campbellsville will travel to Union College (Ky.) on Wednesday, April 16. CU and Union faced off on April 2 with the Tigers run-ruling the Bulldogs, 10-0 in Campbellsville.
 

The Tigers will then travel to Georgetown College with a crucial series between the top two teams in the MSC on Friday and Saturday. Game times are Friday, April 18 – 7 p.m. ET and Saturday, April 19 – 12 p.m. DH.

 

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