CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — The Tigers scratched out 16 hits and scored 10 runs en route to taking down Union College tonight, 10-4, in the final regular season home game at HIG Field.
Box Score
Mike Castellano and Nestor Linares picked up three hits to lead the Tigers, while Cody Erickson drove in four runs. Erickson, Casey Scott, Cameron Ketchen and Richard Ramirez all picked up two hits to help CU win its eighth-straight game.
Dexter Cline, who came into the game only throwing nine-plus innings this season, pitched into the sixth inning tonight to pick up his third win of the season. He allowed six hits and two earned runs while striking out a pair of Bulldogs.
Ryan Norrix, Casey Congleton and Justin Phillips also saw action on the mound, combining to throw four innings of two run baseball.
The Tigers hot-hitting started in the first. Linares singled to leadoff the inning, Scott walked and both were followed with a two RBI single by Ketchen. Erickson then put CU ahead 3-0 with a sac fly to score Ketchen from third base.
CU (27-11, 10-5 MSC) pushed its lead to 4-0 in the second after an RBI single by Scott scoring Linares.
Campbellsville clawed two runs in the fourth and it started with another hit by Linares – this time a double. Scott walked once again and Erickson delivered a two RBI single to push CU's lead to 6-0.
Then Union (23-19) punched right back with four runs. The Bulldogs had seven batters reach base in the inning with RBI hits from Cam Brookwell, Michael Castillo, Joe Gaines and Bruce Valentin. But Congleton came in to weather the storm and worked out of a bases-loaded, zero outs jam to end the Union rally.
Then the Tigers countered Union's four-run sixth inning with a score of its own in the bottom half. A leadoff walk to Linares came back to haunt UC and Erickson cleared the bases with a stand-up triple to centerfield.
CU added on in the seventh. A pair of doubles by Ramirez and Castellano scored a run and Riley Joyce pushed across the ninth run with a pinch hit single. Ketchen delivered the third score with an RBI single to right field scoring Jacob Carrera.
Union had two Bulldogs with a multi hit performance. Brookwell and Valentin both picked up two hits and drove in two runs for Union.
Campbellsville now re-enters Mid-South Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at University of Pikeville. The Tigers lead the MSC standings at 10-5 and are a game ahead of Pikeville and Lindsey Wilson (9-6). Game one on Friday is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET and the doubleheader on Saturday will start at at 1:00.
