Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville Baseball went on the road and turned in its first series sweep over a Mid-South Conference foe this season, beating University of Pikeville 6-5 in 11 innings and 4-2 in the series finale.

It is the first MSC sweep since the Tigers took all three games against rival Georgetown College last season (March 15-16). And only the third sweep in the last two seasons, as CU also took the opening MSC series last season against University of the Cumberlands.
 

GAME ONE- CAMPBELLSVILLE 6, PIKEVILE 5 – 11 INNINGS - BOX SCORE

 

Gentry Kinsella played hero for Campbellsville in the first game on Sunday afternoon. The junior from Gilbert, Ariz., led the Tigers going 3-for-4 and picked up a career-high four RBIs. But none were more important than the RBI single in the final frame.

Ricky McColloch picked up a one-out single to centerfield and scampered all the way around to score on the Kinsella single.

Campbellsville had a commanding 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning but the Tiger bullpen could not seal the victory for starter Matt Robertson. The senior from Valley, Wash., went five strong innings, only allowing one run (unearned) off five Pikeville hits.

 

Alex Watson and TR Dunne both came pitched in relief and were chased after giving up a combined four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

 

Pikeville's Connor Osborne delivered a one-out double to center field and advanced to third after a single by Brad Andrews. Dunne picked up a ground ball out but a passed ball by battery mate Jaime Valle, which gave the Bears life, scoring Osborne from third base.

 

The wheels fell off for Campbellsville after the passed ball. An Alex Gutierrez error on the next play scored Andrews and made it a one run game, 5-4. After two consecutive singles, Chris Tuma came in to relieve Dunne and attempt to stop the bleeding. But Tuma delivered a wild pitch, scoring the tying run from third base with two outs.

 

Tuma (4-2) finally got the Tigers out of the ninth and pitched the two extra innings without allowing a hit to pick up the win; his second of the week. 

 

Bryce Carden started on the mound for Pikeville but was chased in the third inning. Logan Sales (2-2) picked up the heartbreaking loss for the Bears after throwing three innings of four-hit and one-run baseball.

 

McColloch and Shane Woodson were the only other Tigers with a multi-hit performance. McColloch went 3-for-4 with one RBI and Woodson finished 2-for-2 after coming in during the seventh inning. 

 

Carlos Torres, Jacob Russell and Valle all picked up one hit in the 11-inning thriller.

 

GAME TWO: CAMPBELLSVILLE 4, PIKEVILLE 2 - BOX SCORE

 

After picking up runs in the early stages of game one on Saturday, the Tigers waited around till the sixth inning before plating three runs in the series finale to complete the sweep over Pikeville.

 

CU starter Allen Hewey (4-1) was making his first start of the season — only second of his career — and went seven strong innings, only allowing two runs off six hits and striking out a career-high nine UPike batters in his first career complete game as a Tiger.

 

Torres led the cavalry in game three, going 3-for-4 and scored a run. Valle finished 1-for-3 with a team-leading two RBIs and Gutierrez went 1-for-2 with an RBI.

 

Pikeville got on the board first after Hewey struck out the first two batters. Nicolas Gonzales delivered the only RBI of the game for Pikeville with a two-out homerun over the right field fence.

 

Campbellsville knotted it up at one in the fourth inning after the Tigers played a little small ball with the middle of their order. Torres singled to start the inning and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Russell and stole third with two outs. Valle picked Torres up off third base with an RBI single, 1-1.

 

The Bears answered after Hewey walked the lead off batter Gonzalez to start the bottom half of the inning. After a strikeout and ground out, Chaz Contreras gave the Tigers a dose of their own medicine and delivered a two-out RBI single, scoring Gonzalez, 2-1.

 

The Tigers responded in the sixth inning, though, and finally took the lead for good with a little help of a few Pikeville miscues. Russell kick started the offense with a one-out single and Alex Kline and Valle both reached base on two consecutive Pikeville errors, scoring Russell and pinch runner John Ingram. Alex Scanlan would single advancing Valle to third base and Gutierrez made up for his error in the first game with an RBI single himself.

 

Hewey got into a little trouble in the bottom half of the inning once again but worked out the jam to secure the sweep.

 

Corey Gilligan (3-4) was the only Pikeville pitcher, giving up four runs but only one was earned after his defense let him down. He struck out three Tiger batters in his seven innings of work.

 

Pikeville fell to 19-19 and 6-11 in the MSC after the series sweep, dropping them into ninth place in the conference.

 

Campbellsville (21-14, 10-7 MSC) is now tied for second place in the conference with Shawnee State (23-18, 10-7 MSC). St. Catharine College is a half game behind both teams with a 10-8 record inside the MSC. Cumberland University and Lindsey Wilson both sit in a tie for fourth place with matching 9-8 records and only one game behind second place. Bluefield College is just two games behind CU and SSU, sitting at 8-9 in the MSC.

 

The Tigers are scheduled to be back in action on Tuesday night with a non-conference game scheduled at Indiana University Southeast. CU and the IUSE split the first matchup earlier in the season, 7-6 (IUSE) and 8-7 (CU). The single nine-inning game with start approximately at 6 p.m. ET at Koetter Sports Baseball Complex in New Albany, Ind.

 

To follow Tiger baseball throughout the season, check them out on Twitter - @CTigersBaseball and @CvilleTigers. Also on Facebook – Campbellsville University Baseball and Campbellsville Tigers.