ATHENS, Tenn. — Tiger baseball used two four-run innings and another two-run frame to hold off No. 23 Tennessee Wesleyan on Sunday afternoon, 10-9.

Campbellsville wins its opening series of the season, 2-1 after splitting the doubleheader Saturday with the Bulldogs.

BOX SCORE

After a Garrett Everhart RBI single to put CU up 1-0 in the first inning, Alex Kline fed off his two home run performance in yesterday's second game and put the Tigers on the board, 4-0, with a three-run bomb. Kline went 4-for-10 on the weekend with three home runs and seven RBI.

The Tigers kept their bats alive in the second inning with a leadoff double by senior catcher Jamie Valle. After being caught stealing, Chris Allen followed with a single and Miguel Solano-Espinoza delivered an RBI triple putting CU up, 5-0.

Everhart followed with an RBI groundout to score Solano-Espinoza and put the Tigers ahead, 6-0.

Tennessee Wesleyan finally awoke and started to chip away at the Tiger lead. After picking up a run in the second, two runs in the third and another in the fourth the Bulldogs chased starting pitcher Matt Robertson out of the game after just 3 2/3 innings pitched, allowing six hits and four earned runs. Robertson (1-0) also struck out four batters and walked two (one intentional).

Tennessee Wesleyan went to its bullpen to start the fifth inning and pulled starter Chris Washington (0-1). He finished with four innings pitched, giving up five earned runs on seven hits and struck out one batter.

Tyler Fowler replaced Washington but Campbellsville ran him out of the game after just 2/3 of an inning pitched. CU took advantage of a leadoff single by Solano-Espinoza and a fielding error to put Everhart on the base paths with teammates at second and third. After a balk by Fowler, Kline once again delivered an RBI single, scoring Everhart from third base.

Kline advanced to second base on a passed ball but was thrown out at third on a fielder's choice to the shortstop by Casey Scott. Carlos Torres then delivered his first home run of 2015, putting CU up 10-4 and chasing Fowler out of the game without allowing him to get out of the inning.

He finished giving up three hits and four runs in his 2/3 of an inning. Dillion Dove replaced Fowler and shut down the Tigers for the rest of the game on the offensive side of the ball.

Campbellsville reliever Nick Morehead came in for his second appearance in as many days and couldn't hold down the Bulldogs. Tennessee Wesleyan eventually whittled the lead down to one with three runs in the sixth.

Chris Congleton replaced Morehead after a leadoff double in the eighth inning, but also surrendered a two-bagger before head coach Beauford Sanders went to Logan Truex out of the bullpen.

Truex gave up a seeing-eye single through the hole at shortstop then surrendered a sacrifice fly to score TWC's second run of the inning, cutting the lead to 10-9.

The Bulldogs threatened in the final inning with a leadoff single but an attempted sacrifice bunt failed and Truex picked up a strikeout and fielder's choice to earn his first save and Campbellsville's opening series of the season.

Solano-Espinoza wouldn't let Kline out-do him and had a big day at the plate in the final game of the series. He went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and one RBI. He also finished 4-for-10 on the weekend alongside Kline. 

CU had four other Tigers tally hits: Allen (2-for-5), Everhart (1-for-4), Torres (2-for-4) and Valle (1for-4). Tennessee Wesleyan had seven batters tally hits with Wardy Polanco leading the way, hitting two home runs and going 4-for-5 from the plate.

Campbellsville will return home for its home opener next week against Marygrove College. The Tigers will play at 2 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 13 and also on Saturday, Feb. 14 with a doubleheader starting at noon EST and on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. EST. All games will be available on CU's Stretch Internet Portal - HERE.