ATHENS, Tenn. — Campbellsville baseball split its opening day doubleheader of the 2015 season against No. 23 Tennessee Wesleyan. The Tigers dropped game one, 5-0, but the bats awoke to win game two, 6-2, and even the series.

The deciding game of the series will be played Sunday at 2 p.m. EDT. Matt Robertson will start on the mound, his start since a season-ending injury against Pikeville last April.

"For the entire day I am very please," said head coach Beauford Sanders. "Things just didn't go our way in the first game. All of the close plays and calls that were 50-50 seemed to go their way, and that's baseball. But we recovered in the second game and strung a few big innings together."

Game one – Tennessee Wesleyan 5, Campbellsville 0  - BOX SCOR

Tennessee Wesleyan used the long ball in game one of the doubleheader to defeat the Tigers, 5-0.

The nerves seemed to get to Campbellsville starting pitcher, Indalecio Romo. After walking the first batter of the game, giving up a stolen base and then a fielder's choice, Wardy Polanco scored the game's first run on a wild pitch

Romo calmed down on the mound and sat the Bulldogs down in order for two straight innings before Shell McCain led off the fourth inning with a home run.

That was the first of two home runs in the game for Tennessee Wesleyan. Nick Morehead replaced Romo on the mound in the fifth inning with one out but the Bulldogs' Ridge Hoopi-Haslam put TWC up 5-0 with another long ball.

Romo finished throwing 4 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs. Romo also walked two batters and struck out five. Morehead finished the fifth inning and only threw 2/3 of an inning allowing the one hit to Hoopi-Haslam for the home run.

Casey Congleton also saw time on the mound in the season opener and threw one inning, giving up one hit.

"I thought Romo pitched very well in the first game," said Sanders. "We were still right in the game until the fifth inning home run we gave up. But even then if we start to sting the ball a little bit we would have a chance."

Campbellsville's bats were silent in the first game. Chris Allen's single in the top of the fourth inning was the lone hit. That was also the Tigers' only baserunner.

"We weren't able to get on base till the middle innings," said Sanders. "Although we weren't seeing results we took some good cuts."

Game two – Campbellsville 6, Tennessee Wesleyan 2 - BOX SCOR

CU's bats came alive in the second game, especially from cleanup hitter Alex Kline. In the first inning Garrett Everhart delivered a two-out double and Kline followed with a deep shot over the right field fence, putting CU up 2-0.

Tennessee Wesleyan was not outdone, though and used two costly Tiger errors to even the score in the bottom of the first.

"It was a big boost for us to go up in the first inning," said Sanders. "But dawg-gon-it if we don't turn right around and give it right back. We had a leadoff error then a balk that set them up for their runs."

Jake Pannunzio (1-0) started game two on the mound and pitched 3 2/3 innings allowing only the two first inning runs and striking out three. He teamed up with Mario Morales to shut down the Bulldogs after the opening inning, allowing just one hit and two base runners in the final six innings.

"I'm very pleased with Jake and Mario," said Sanders. "Both came in and threw the ball well. Jake battled back after the first inning and didn't allow much after that. Mario was very good in the later stages of the game and we need that from our bullpen all season."

Kline shined once again and delivered what ended up being the game-clinching home run in the top of the fourth inning, giving CU a 3-2 lead. Kline finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored.

"Big Alex did it all in the second game," said Sanders. "He was able to connect on two pitches and drove the ball out. The team fed off Alex's big home runs and we were able to bounce back late in the game."

The Tigers blew the game wide open in the final inning and scored three runs with two outs.

The inning started with a leadoff walk by Gentry Kinsella and single by Chris Allen. After a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Miguel Solano-Espinoza, Richard Ramirez picked up his first RBI single as a Tiger to score Kinsella from third. Then two consecutive passed balls by Tennessee Wesleyan catcher Zach Tillman scored Chris Allen and also Kline, giving Campbellsville a 6-2 lead.

The four-run cushion was more than enough for Morales, who shut the Bulldogs down in the final inning to complete his stat line of 3 1/3 innings pitched, striking out three and not allowing a hit or walk.