CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — For the second straight game, Tiger baseball was forced to play comeback and once again CU prevailed.
Cody Erickson delivered a two RBI walk-off single to right field and the Tigers came from behind to knock off Indiana University Southeast, 4-3.
Trailing 3-2, Campbellsville picked up half of its hits (four) in the ninth inning.
Nestor Linares singled and was followed with hits by
Casey Scott and
Cameron Ketchen to load the bases. After a mound visit by IUS head coach Ben Reel, closer Jarred Messex put a fastball on the tee for Erickson to deliver the Tigers their second-straight walk-off win.
Campbellsville (17-9) had two players record two hits a piece with Linares going 2-for-4 and Ketchen going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Four other Tigers have one hit a piece.
Jake Pannunzio (2-0) picked up the win after pitching a perfect ninth inning. The Tigers threw out five pitchers in the mid-week win, as Indiana University Southeast (13-10) put 12 on the mound, as Messex (0-1) picked up the loss.
The Tigers took first blood in the opening inning, as Linares led off with a double to left-center field. He eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Ketchen.
Nelson Quark started on the mound for CU and pitched two-plus innings but IU Southeast rallied in the third, forcing the Tigers to make a change. Quark allowed a leadoff single to Kyle Goodman, who then stole second base and advanced to third on a passed ball. Trent Simpson walked and Matt Volz delivered a sinking liner to right field but Ketchen's diving attempt came up short, allowing the ball to go under his glove, scoring Goodman and Simpson on the two RBI triple.
Clay Benefield drove in Volz with an RBI single to left field putting the Grenadiers ahead, 3-1 and chasing Quark out of the game.
Casey Congleton allowed a bases-empty double but worked out of the third inning jam.
Campbellsville answered in the fourth with a single run.
Mike Castellano walked and
Romello Carbuccia was hit by a pitch with no outs. After an error by the pitcher Brandon Ward, Castellano advanced to third base and he later scored on a safety squeeze by
Riley Joyce, 3-2.
That's where the score would stay until the ninth. IU Southeast combined with 11 pitchers allowing four hits through the first eight innings. Alex Schoettmer started on the mound for the Grenadiers, as five of the 12 pitchers went at least one full inning of work.
IUS out-hit Campbellsville, 13-8. Every player in the Grenadier batting order had at least one base knock but leading hitter Trent Simpson went 0-for-4 from the leadoff spot. Benefield went 3-for-4 with an RBII and Volz finished hitting 2-for-4 with two RBI. Kyle Asher and Cody Maloon also had two hits for IU Southeast.
Campbellsville will now get back into Mid-South Conference play, as the Tigers travel to Georgetown College on Friday-Saturday, March 25-26. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 12 p.m.
