BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Campbellsville broke open a 2-2 game with a two-run second inning and a four-run third and held on to beat Pikeville 10-7 today at Bowling Green Ball Park. With the win the Tigers advance to a championship round tonight at approximately 7:00 ET against Mid-South Conference nemesis the University of the Cumberlands.
Fans can follow each game on the CU Sports Network and the MSC Sports Network at the links above. Pregame coverage will start 15 minutes before the first pitch. CU has to beat Cumberlands twice to win the tournament from the elimination bracket.
CU (33-18) got on the board in the bottom of the first when
Carlos Garmendia's single plated
Clay Valenzuela-Reece. Garmendia would score on Romelio Carbuccia's two-out double.
After UPIKE (27-24) tied the score with a two-spot in the top of the second, Campbellsville answered in kind with two runs of its own.
Jose Castro picked up a one-out single and was advanced to third on a single by Mathew Valdez. Castro would score on a sac fly by Valenzuela-Reece, and Valdez scored when
Brett Hamilton doubled down the left field line.
In the bottom of the third, Carbuccia walked and scored on
David Montoya's double. After a pitch hit
Riley Joyce, Castro picked up his second single of the game to score another run. And Castro scored on Valenzuela-Reece's sacrifice fly.
Pikeville cut the lead to 8-5 with one run in the fifth and two in the sixth when two different pitchers issued four walks and two wild pitches.
The Bears kept pecking away and closed to within 8-6 with a solo run in the seventh on Matt Peterson's single after
DJ Wilson issued a one-out walk and hit a batter.
After three scoreless innings, the Tigers finally found some offense in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Montoya singled and
Diego Reynoso was hit by a pitch.
Riley Joyce's single scored a run to expand the lead to 9-6, but CU left some runs on the bases by stranding two.
In the eighth, CU picked up an insurance run, and led 10-6, when Montoya singled with two outs and plated Garmendia, who had doubled with one out.
Jorge Perez hit a leadoff home run in the top of the ninth to close the gap to 10-7, but that closed out the Bears' scoring.
Kirby Broadbent picked up the win in relief, while AJ Carkner earned the loss for UPIKE.
You can follow Tiger Baseball through Twitter @CvilleTigers and @CTigersBaseball, and on the web and on Facebook — Campbellsville Tigers.
