CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – After a five-game losing stint, the Campbellsville Tigers looked to get back into the win column with a mid-week match-up against the Midway Eagles. The Tigers were 12-1 against the Eagles going into the day with history on their side. The Tigers got the job done in mercy-rule fashion and won the game 16-1.
Toeing the rubber for the Tigers was Connor Martin, making his second start and fourth appearance of the season. In the top of the first inning, the righty walked the first batter he faced and then got a double play for a clean slate. The Eagles responded with a two-out double, but Martin eliminated the threat with a strikeout.
The Tigers were sat down in order in the bottom of the first inning, bringing Martin back to the mound for the top of the second. The righty retired the side and picked up his second strikeout.
After a quiet first inning from the Tigers' offense, they exploded in the bottom of the second. Bret Bowers kicked off the inning and displayed his notorious Bower-Power, unloading on a no-doubt bomb over the scoreboard for his seventh of the season. Tate Wischnack followed up with a walk, and then Trent Buchanan laid down a perfect push-bunt past the mound for a single. Jaxson Grubbs loaded the bases with a single to left-center field, and then Henry Wright brought Wischnack home with a single to right field. Joaquin Hernandez reached on a fielder's choice with no outs, and as the Eagles attempted the double play, the throw to first got away. Two runs came home on the play. Zane Skansi walked to move Hernandez into scoring position, bringing Yosuke Fujie to the plate. Fujie demolished a heat-seeking missile over the left-center field wall for his ninth homer of the season. After the Eagles made a pitching change, Tanner Park reached on an infield single. The Eagles were able to record the final two outs of the inning, but the seven-run damage had been done.
Following the offensive eruption, Martin continued on the mound in the top of the third inning. After the leadoff man was retired, the Eagles managed a baserunner who reached on an error. Martin retired the next batter, but then the runner on first swiped second base. The Eagles cut into the lead with a double to center field, but that was all they would manage in the inning.
With momentum on their side, the Tigers aimed to keep the train going in the bottom of the third inning. Buchanan led off the frame with a walk and was pinch-run for by Trey Proctor. Grubbs followed up with a hit-by-pitch, and both runners advanced into scoring position after a passed ball. Wright walked to load the bases, and then a wild pitch moved everyone up. Hernandez walked to reload the bases, and Skansi made the free bases hurt with a two-RBI single to left field. Fujie walked to load the bases for the third time in the inning, but the Eagles responded by retiring the next two Tigers with no damage. Looking to continue adding on, Wischnack came up clutch with a bases-clearing double. Buchanan singled to put runners at the corners, but the Tigers had to settle for their second seven-spot in a row.
Martin continued on the mound for the Tigers in the top of the fourth inning and retired the first two batters. A walk and a double put the righty in trouble, but he bared down and escaped the jam with an emphatic strikeout.
With the mercy-rule in play, the Tigers aimed to continue adding on in the bottom of the fourth inning. Wright was the man for the job and smacked a towering homerun over the left-center field wall. After the next batter was retired, Skansi hit one of the farthest balls HIG field has ever witnessed for his ninth homer of the season.
Joe McBride took over for Martin in the top of the fifth inning, making his 11th appearance of the season. The righty plunked the leadoff batter on the first pitch and then got a double-play ball, though the Tigers could only get the out at second base. The next batter singled to center field, putting McBride in trouble. Fortunately, he escaped the jam with a couple of flyouts.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Shoki Fukui pinch-hit for Bowers and led off with a single to left field. Unfortunately, the offense was unable to bring him home.
Jayden Parsons took over for McBride in the top of the sixth inning, making his third appearance of the season. The lefty retired the first batter he faced, and then the Eagles threatened with a double to right center field. The next batter flew out to right field, looking to advance the runner on second base. Wischnack collected the out and threw an absolute laser to third base for the double play.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Wright led off with a hit-by-pitch. The next two batters were retired in order, and then Proctor added another baserunner with a walk, though both men were left stranded.
Logan MacNiel took the mound in the top of the seventh inning, making his 10th appearance of the season. Looking to avoid the mercy-rule, the Eagles led off the inning with a single up the middle. MacNiel induced a double play that cleared the bases, bringing the Eagles down to their final out. The next batter worked a walk, and then the Eagles put runners at the corners after an error by the shortstop. MacNiel bared down and slammed the door with a strikeout.
The Tigers won the game with 16 runs on 12 hits with two errors, and the Eagles lost with one run on six hits and no errors.
The Tigers have a few days off but will be back in action with a road series against the University of the Cumberlands Patriots. The series' first game is set to begin on Friday, April 18th, at 3 p.m. ET.
- Beauford Sanders, Campbellsville's head coach, also coached the Eagles' head coach. The two coached together at Campbellsville University, where Luther Bramblett was the Tigers' assistant coach from 1999 to 2001 under Coach Sanders' direction.
