CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The Tigers, following a split day in their regular-season conference series finale with the Bethel Wildcats, hosted the third game Saturday. With senior day festivities beginning the event, Campbellsville was unable to keep pace with Bethel as they were out-hit 16-10 and lost, 11-6.
Both teams managed runs in the opening inning: the Wildcats registering two hits and the Tigers one.
Jorge Gonzalez rocketed a curving line drive into right field for a triple and then
Chad McCann sent him in with his ground out. The subsequent Bethel at-bat saw five batters in the box with one reaching base via walk and another singling. Both were stranded though, but it would be three up, three down for the Tigers in their share of the frame.
The third inning didn't see a run scored for either squad. However, the leadoff Wildcat batter in the fourth sent a ball over the fence to put Bethel up 2-1. Bethel sent another run home with their fourth hit of the frame. Down 3-1, the Tigers mustered two hits, but couldn't capitalize and shrink their deficit.
The Wildcats kept connecting for hits in their return to the plate, registering three hits and five runs. Down 8-1, the Tigers took a chip at Bethel's lead behind
Jonah Bachiu's single that sent in
Yosuke Fujie (who had reached on an error). Campbellsville forced their first three up, three down in the Wildcats' share of the sixth inning from new pitcher
Jackson Izatt's throws. Izatt had relieved Logan MacNeil who himself had replaced starting pitcher
Garrett Maloney in the top of the fifth. It was back-to-back walks for the Tiger offense to kick off their comeback effort, but a double play halted their progress.
The seventh frame was relatively uneventful with four combined hits between the two teams as Campbellsville notched their inning-high of the game with three hits, though none translated to runs. Into the penultimate inning, the Wildcats grew their advantage to 10-3. The Tigers responded with a couple hits and a run to go into the final frame behind 10-4.
After Bethel added another run, the Tigers faced an 11-4 shortfall in the ninth. Campbellsville got two runners on base after a single and a walk with no outs. After a fly out and a balk, the Tigers were on second and third, but soon took on the second out before they could move. The bases were loaded following a hit-by-pitch, and
Kale Seitz brought two runners home with his single to deep right field. The game would end though following a fly out to center.
The Tigers collected ten hits compared to the Wildcats' 16. McCann led the squad with his team-high two hits while Seitz paced the team with his two RBI's.
As a result of their regular season performance, the Tigers will be the fifth seed in the Mid-South Conference Tournament set to begin May 1, 2024 in Bowling Green, Kentucky at the Bowling Green Ballpark.
