PIKEVILLE, Ky. – After taking game one and looking to win another Mid-South Conference series, Tiger baseball had to go through a team chasing them atop the MSC standings. Campbellsville was blanked in game two of the series, 4-0, but Nestor Linares played hero in game three of the series with a game-winning two run homer to seal the series, 5-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Campbellsville (29-12, 12-6) is tied with Lindsey Wilson College atop the MSC standings with one weekend left in the regular season. UPIKE (22-19, 10-8 MSC) now sits in third place.
The Tigers were shutout in game one of today's doubleheader for the first time in almost a month. Mario Morales (6-4) was the tough-luck loser after tossing seven innings and allowing just six hits and three runs. He also struck out seven batters. Nick Morehead (3-4) picked up the win in game two after tossing six innings and allowing just one earned run. Jake Pannunzio came in to record his MSC-leading 12th save with one inning of work on the weekend.
Offensively, CU was led by leadoff hitter Linares going 4-for-7 today and scoring one run and driving in two. Linares delivered the game-winner in the final game with a two-run home run to uncork a 2-2 tie. Cameron Ketchen picked up two hits in game one today and another in game two, while Cody Erickson had two in the final game and drove in a run.
Game one – Pikeville 4, Campbellsville 0 – Box Score
UPIKE's Bryce Carden and A.J. Carkner shutdown the Tigers at the plate but allowed nine combined walks. Campbellsville was unable to take advantage and left 12 runners on base. It started in the first inning when Linares and Erickson reached via free passes but the Tigers were unable to score.
In the second, CU picked up a pair of singles from Romello Carbuccia and Linares but Casey Scott flied out to end the threat. UPIKE scored two runs in the fourth and it started with a solo home run by Josh Bailey. The Bears picked up three consecutive hits to score another run and take a 2-0 lead.
Campbellsville looked to answer in the fifth. Scott came right back with a leadoff double and ended up moving to third on a wild pitch. Erickson walked again to put runners on first and third but Richard Ramirez went down on strikes for the third out.
The Bears added insurance runs in the eighth inning and it started with a Bailey leadoff single. Casey Congleton relieved Morales on the hill but he allowed two consecutive singles to score a run. UPIKE pushed another run across – an unearned score on Ryan Norrix after an error by Carbuccia at second base.
CU had two runners on base in the ninth but had nothing to show for it.
Game two – Campbellsville 5, Pikeville 2 – Box Score
UPIKE picked up right where it left off in the first with a leadoff double by Bailey and Just Beatty delivered an RBI-single to give the Bears and early lead.
CU answered in the third with a single run. After a hit-by-pitch, sac bunt and wild pitch, Carbuccia came around to score on a suicide squeeze by Jacob Carrera.
The two teams traded runs in the fourth but a three-run rally in the seventh sealed the victory for CU. It all started with another hit batsmen and Linares delivered his fourth home run of the season — a two-run shot on the first pitch he saw to push CU ahead, 4-2. The Tigers added another on a double by Erickson scoring Ketchen.
Pannunzio set the Bears down 1-2-3 in the seventh to seal CU's win.
The Tigers will travel to Indiana University Southeast on Tuesday, April 19 with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. Campbellsville will then hit the road to Lebanon, Tenn. for its final MSC regular season series at Cumberland University on Friday-Saturday, April 22-23.
