MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The Tigers sought to bounce back Sunday afternoon in the concluding game of their series with conference foe Bethel University.
Grant McQueary's grand slam ignited the rally, but Campbellsville couldn't take the win, falling 9-8.
It remained a tight race to see who would earn a top-six spot in the Mid-South Conference standings as that would earn those teams hosting duties against their first-round opponent. Before the contest began, Campbellsville sat in seventh at 13-13 in MSC play while Bethel was ninth at 11-15.
For the first time in the series, the Tigers got on the board first. In the second inning and with the first at-bat,
Mael Zan rocketed a ball over the fence.
Kale Seitz and
Lorenzo Gonzalez both singled with Gonzalez's sending in a run. In their share of the frame, the Wildcats connected for four hits and three runs to retake the lead.
No additional runs were scored until Bethel made the most of two Campbellsville errors in the bottom of the fourth. There, they scored three runs off said errors and a single. In their subsequent chance on offense and with two outs, McQueary hit a grand slam to even things at six each.
In the top of the sixth, the Tigers got two more runs to extend their advantage. Although no hits were recorded,
Henry Wright, pinch running for Gonzalez, stole second and then advanced to third on a passed ball. A fielder's choice brought him in to score. With bases loaded, a walk for
Chad McCann meant Campbellsville's second run of the frame. The Wildcats knotted things in their share of the inning with a two RBI homer.
Both defenses locked in for the seventh frame, only allowing a hit each. It was three up, three down for the Tigers in the eighth while the Wildcats put up a run to go ahead by one. Although Campbellsville was in a precarious position with Bethel runners on first and third, they managed to close out the frame.
In the final inning, the Tigers had two on after an error and single, but couldn't convert as they lost 9-8.
Campbellsville concluded their MSC play and have just one midweek game before the postseason. They face off against Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky on Tuesday, April 25
th at 3 p.m. ET.
