CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – On the brink of losing both ends of Saturday's doubleheader to Siena Heights University, the Campbellsville baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh in game-two to win in walk-off fashion 4-3.
The game winning hit came off the bat of
Cale Thompson, who went into the at-bat 0-for-3 in the game. Thompson took the first pitch from SHU's Trevor Willis and lined it into left field, scoring courtesy runner
Chris Taitague from second base.
Taitague was running for catcher
Austin Peterson, who singled up the middle scoring pinch runner
Lane Kashiwamura from second to tie the game at 3-3 with two outs.
CU started the inning with back-to-back base runners after
Jack Bauer was hit by a pitch to lead off before a single from
Tony Fonzo.
Adbiel Morales bunted them over to second and third before a sacrifice fly was hit by
Tyler Deason on a ball that was caught at the wall by the Saints center fielder.
Going into that final inning, the Tigers had left nine runners on base over the first six innings after leaving the bases loaded in the first and third innings. The scored their only run before the seventh in the first after Fonzo reached on an error then a walk, hit by pitch and bases loaded walked scored Fonzo.
Tiger pitching had a nice day over the 16 total innings allowing six earned runs on 17 hits with 10 strikeouts. The standout on the mound came from junior
Aaron Hutchinson in the 4-3 loss in game one.
Hutchinson went five innings in relief allowing one run on five hits with only one strikeouts against 20 hitters. It was Hutchinson's first appearance of the season with the pitching staff a little shorthanded after Tuesday's doubleheader.
Brenden Nipp was also able to put up two identical outings, one in each game, of scoreless baseball. Nipp pitched a three-up, three-down inning in each game one and game two, where he threw 10 pitches both times with a strikeout in each game.
Game one saw the CU struggle with runners in scoring position offensively as they went 2-for-10 (.200) and leaving nine runners on base. Late in the game with the Tigers down two runs or one run, they ended the sixth, eighth and ninth innings with runners in scoring position.
In game one, Campbellsville used the long ball twice to score runs with solo shots from Peterson in the second and Deason in the seventh. Deason's home run came off the bench as he pinch hit to lead off the inning and drove a 3-2 fastball into the CU bullpen.
After Saturday the Tigers and Saints plan to play their scheduled Sunday afternoon game at HIG Field but weather forecasts show precipitation in the area over night and Sunday afternoon. A decision about tomorrow will be made tomorrow morning prior to first pitch.
