CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Campbellsville's baseball team scored four times in the first inning to help lead it to a 6-2 victory over Union College at HIG Field on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Tigers (18-9) had six pitchers appear in the game giving up just three hits to the Bulldogs (10-15). Matthew Valdez, Tyson Solis, Jalen Horton, Shane Stober and Bryson Wallet all had multi-hit days for Campbellsville.
 
Strong starts continued to pace the Tigers this season as they put up a crooked number to start the game. Campbellsville plated four runs on four hits the bottom of the first inning, which chased Union's starter Cody Bailey – who did not record an out. After the four runs on Tuesday, the Tigers have now scored in the first inning 19 times this year and outscore the opposition 33-7 in the first inning.
 
Valdez was hit by a pitch to start the game and then Solis reached first base on a bunt for a hit. Ty Housden delivered the first run of the game with a double down the right field line scoring Valdez. Logan Roberts followed with a single out to left field, which plated Solis. The line kept moving on a Wallet sent a single to right field bringing home Housden.
 
After the first out of the inning, a wild pitch went to the backstop, where Roberts was out at the plate, but Wallet moved up the third base. David Montoya reached on a walk to keep the inning alive and the fourth run of the frame came in off another wild pitch that scored Wallet from third. With runners on first and second base after Jalen Horton was hit by a pitch, Austin Peterson flied out to left field to end the threat.
 
Campbellsville's offense was held in check until the fourth inning when Valdez recorded his RBI off of a sacrifice fly, scoring Horton – who led off the inning with a single.
 
The Tiger pitching staff was rolling to start the game as the first 10 Union batters were retired in order. The first hit of the game for the Bulldogs came with one out in the fourth inning off a single from Nick Shumaker. Ty Holmstrom tried to piggy back off that hit as he sent a deep shot down the left field line that cleared the fence, but was called just foul and Tyler Deason got out the inning without allowing a run.
 
However, Holmstrom came up in his next at-bat in the sixth inning and got his home run with a two-run long ball out to left field to cut the Tiger lead to 5-2.
 
Holding the 5-2 advantage into the final stages of the ball game, Campbellsville scored one run on three hits and an error in the eighth inning. A single from Shane Stober scored Horton from third base, where Horton moved up to third on a wild pickoff attempt after bunting for a base hit to start the inning.
 
DJ Wilson shutdown the Union offense facing seven batters over the final two innings striking out five without allowing a hit to earn his fifth save of the year.
 
Mikey Hooper (3-2) tossed a perfect first and second inning, recording three strikeouts and three groundouts. Deason allowed just one hit in two innings, while striking out three hitters, followed by Anthony Arias – who walked just one batter in his lone inning of work.
 
Nick Johnston surrendered two hits and two run in the sixth inning, where he also struck out a pair. Brandon Diaz threw the seventh inning, where he allowed just thee walks and no hits.
 
Union had seven pitchers take the rubber allowing six runs on seven hits recording just three strikeouts. Bailey (0-1) earned the loss after allowing four hits and four runs without recording an out.
 
Campbellsville returns to Mid-South Conference action this week against Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio. Game one of the series is currently set for 3 p.m. ET on Friday.
 
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