COLUMBIA, Ky. — Following their Friday loss, the Tigers sought to rebound with two wins to take the majority of the series against the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders. Campbellsville couldn't register but one hit in the first game, losing 4-3; however, they reached double digit hits in the second contest on the back of three homers, winning 10-5.
GAME ONE: Campbellsville 3, Lindsey Wilson 4
Only a hit-by-pitch would get a Tiger on base to open things. It was three up, three down for the Blue Raiders to start their offense, both teams showing their defensive fortitude out the gate. It was two straight full frames of each squad putting up three batters just to have them sat back down.
In their share of the fourth, the Blue Raiders got one hit and they got all of it too, sending the ball over the fence and adding a run to their score. It seemed that leak broke the scoring dam as Campbellsville rattled off three runs of their own in response. With three runners on (two walked and one hit-by-pitch)
Amayas Lamar connected for a double, sending all three home to take the 3-1 advantage. Lindsey Wilson put up a couple singles, but they were left stranded as the game went into its final two innings.
The sixth was a return to both team's defensive forms with the Tigers seeing their three at-bats unfruitful, while the Blue Raiders got caught in a double play after a single. Their offense ended with a ground out. Up two runs going into the deciding frame, Campbellsville couldn't add more runs to cushion their lead. In a dangerous spot, with bases loaded and two outs, Lindsey Wilson managed to hit a double to center and send three runs home to win by one.
Garrett Maloney, the Tigers' starter, pitched six innings and had eight strikeouts. Lamar had the Tigers' sole hit in the contest.
GAME TWO: Campbellsville 3, Lindsey Wilson 4
Both teams didn't waste time in game two, getting a run each in the first inning.
Jorge Gonzalez smacked a single for the first hit of the game (following a Lamar walk) and then
Kale Seitz repeated the single-base strike and sent Lamar in for the score. The one-run-each trend continued in the second frame as
Yosuke Fujie led off with a massive home run. Still, the Blue Raiders kept pace with a double and then a single to keep things tied at two's after two.
Neither team recorded a hit in the third frame, but the fourth was a revelation for the Tigers.
Jonah Bachiu and Lamar singled in that order before J. Gonzalez sent a ball over the fence to send all three home. The hits didn't stop there as Seitz doubled to right field and pushed a walked
Chad McCann to third. After
Trent Buchanan was walked, the bases were loaded as
Lorenzo Gonzalez hit a single and then they all advanced on a bad throw from left field, scoring two more runs. L. Gonzalez found himself on third with two outs after a wild pitch and
Henry Wright joined him on the corners after facing four balls. Another Bachiu single brought in L. Gonzalez before all was said and done. Up 9-2 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Lindsey Wilson was reeling.
J. Gonzalez nuked another home run (his fifth of the year) to kick things off in the fifth, and that was the sole hit Campbellsville mustered. The Tigers' defense held the Blue Raiders to just two hits and no runs in the opposition's chance to make a dent into their deficit. With only a hit to their name in the seventh frame, Campbellsville faced three hits translated to three runs as Lindsey Wilson cut their shortfall by half at 10-5. And, although the Tigers wouldn't register another hit for the contest, their defense stood firm, keeping the Blue Raiders from encroaching any further and ended the game, 10-5.
Despite garnering two less hits overall compared to Lindsey Wilson (13 to 11), Campbellsville had three homers to their none and nearly doubled their RBI's at nine compared to five. The Tigers also suffered only a couple walks while they were brought to first via walks seven total times. J. Gonzalez had a season-high three hits, two home runs, and four RBI's in the contest.
The Tigers have one more non-conference matchup in the final games of the 2024 season. Their next game will be against the Indiana University Southeast Grenadiers on Tuesday, April 23rd at 6 p.m. ET in New Albany, Indiana.
