CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – After taking down the 10th-ranked team in the nation, the Campbellsville Tigers kicked off their final conference series of the year with a double-header against the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders. The Tigers split the day, winning game one 13-0 and losing game two 11-6.
Game One: Campbellsville 13, Lindsey Wilson 0
On the mound for the Tigers was Garrett Maloney, making his 11th start of the season. Maloney was dominant out of the gate for the Tigers. Though the first batter of the game reached on an error, Maloney retired the next batter with a fielder's choice and then picked up two strikeouts to finish the inning.
In the bottom of the first inning, Zane Skansi was plunked in the leadoff spot. Tate Wischnack and Antony Gilbert followed up with a pair of walks to load the bases, and then Bret Bowers walked to bring home Skansi. Lorenzo Gonzalez did his job and brought home Wischnack with an RBI-groundout, but Gilbert and Bowers were left stranded to end the inning.
Maloney continued his domination in the top of the second inning and retired the side in order while picking up his third and fourth strikeout.
The Tigers' offense was sat down in order in the bottom of the second inning, bringing Maloney back to the mound for the top of the third. After the leadoff man was retired, the Blue Raiders collected their first hit of the game with a single to right field. After a pitch was sent back at him, Maloney was miraculously able to make the play at first before being taken out of the game. The ace finished his last ride with a 3.36 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched, allowing just 13 walks.
After taking a detrimental hit to their pitching staff, the Tigers called for Ryan McFarland to take over on the mound with two outs and a runner at second base. Making his 15th appearance of the season, McFarland stranded the runner with a groundout to shortstop.
Wischnack led off the bottom of the third inning with an infield single to shortstop, though the next three Tigers were retired, leaving him stranded.
McFarland continued on the mound in the top of the fourth inning and surrendered a leadoff single. The righty responded by retiring the next two hitters and picking up a strikeout, and then a walk gave the Blue Raiders a runner in scoring position. Unphased, McFarland collected the third out with a pop fly to second base.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Yosuke Fujie led off with a single to right field. Gonzalez followed up with a perfect bunt between first base and the mound for a single and was pinch-run for by Trey Proctor. Tanner Park walked to load the bases, and then Henry Wright grounded into a double play that brought Fujie home.
Needing to hang a big zero, the Tigers relied on McFarland to keep the Blue Raiders scoreless in the top of the fifth inning. The righty retired the first two batters of the frame, and then the Blue Raiders threatened with a single and a walk. McFarland stayed in his rhythm and was able to escape the jam to keep the shutout alive.
Following the scoreless inning, bad weather forced the game into an almost four-hour rain delay. When the Tigers resumed play, they looked to hang a crooked number in the bottom of the fifth inning. Skansi led off the inning with a double down the left field line but was thrown out at third base on a fielder's choice ground ball from Wischnack. Gilbert followed up with a walk, and then Bowers loaded the bases with an infield single to third base. With the bases loaded for the second time, Fujie demolished a no-doubt grand slam across the street behind left field for his 11th homer of the season. Trying to go back-to-back, Gonzalez followed up with a double off the top of the right field fence, missing the homer by about a foot. Park followed up with a walk, and then Wright crushed the second no-doubter of the inning with a three-run bomb to left field for his 11th of the season. Still with one out, Jaxson Grubbs picked up his first hit of the game with a single to left field, and Skansi followed up with a walk. Wischnack singled to reach base for his fourth time of the game, though the Tigers wound up leaving the bases loaded.
Taking the mound for the Tigers in the top of the sixth inning was Connor Martin, making his fifth appearance of the season. Martin retired the leadoff man, and then the Blue Raiders threatened again with a single and a walk. The righty kept his composure and retired the next two batters to keep the Blue Raiders off the scoreboard.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Joaquin Hernandez pinch-hit for Fujie and found his way on base after he was plunked. Hernandez advanced to second base on a passed ball, and then Brock Brubaker worked a pinch-hit walk. With one out, Grubbs stepped up and hammered a three-run blast to left-center for his second bomb of the season.
Martin continued on the mound for the Tigers, needing one more clean inning to secure the victory. The righty got the job done and secured the shutout.
The Tigers took game one with 13 runs on 11 hits and one error, while the Blue Raiders were shutout with five hits and no errors.
Game Two: Campbellsville 6, Lindsey Wilson 11
Tristin Crusenberry got the nod in game two for the Tigers, making his 10th start of the season. After retiring the leadoff batter, Crusenberry plunked the next man up, but a key double play helped him escape the inning unscathed.
Skansi led off for the Tigers and roped a single to left field in the bottom of the first inning. Unfortunately, the next three batters were retired in order, and Skansi was left stranded.
Crusenberry maintained his rhythm in the top of the second inning and retired the side in order without a hiccup. In the bottom of the second inning, Gonzalez hooked a one-out single to left field for the Tigers' second hit of the game, though the offense couldn't bring him home.
In the top of the third inning, Crusenberry retired the first two batters he faced and picked up a strikeout. However, the Blue Raiders threatened after a hit-by-pitch and a single gave the righty runners at the corners. Another single allowed the Blue Raiders to draw first blood, and then a flyout to center field helped Crusenberry limit the damage.
The Tigers' offense still couldn't get anything going in the bottom of the third inning, bringing Crusenberry back to the mound for the top of the fourth. The Blue Raiders led off with a single down the right field line, and the runner advanced to second with a fielder's choice. A double to right field added another run for the Blue Raiders, and then a groundout and a strikeout helped Crusenberry limit the damage again.
Still scoreless going into the bottom of the fourth inning, the Tigers looked to cut into the lead. Wischnack worked a leadoff walk, and then Gilbert reached on an error by the third baseman that moved both runners into scoring position with no outs. Fujie got the job done and plated Wischnack with a groundout to second base, cutting the lead to one run. Gonzalez walked to put runners at the corners and then stole second to eliminate the double-play opportunity. The next two Tigers struck out, leaving Gilbert and Gonzalez stranded.
In the top of the fifth inning, Crusenberry walked the leadoff batter, and the Tigers went to their bullpen. Jackson Dollar took over on the mound, making his 13th appearance of the season. The first batter he faced singled to right field and quickly stole second base. A ground ball to first base was thrown home for the force out, but when they tried to double-up the runner at first, the ball was dropped, allowing the runner from second to come home. A single to right field reloaded the bases and forced the Tigers to dig deeper into their bullpen. Brody Forno took over for Dollar, making his 12th appearance of the season. Forno retired his first batter with a sac-fly to center field, and then a triple to right center brought two more runs home. A grounder to third looked like it was going to end the inning, but it was mishandled, plating the Blue Raiders' seventh run of the game. Forno punched back with a strikeout to end the big inning.
Grubbs led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double down the right field line, and then Skansi followed up with a walk. Buchanan reached on a fielder's choice to follow, with Grubbs thrown out at third. Wischnack walked to load the bases, and then Gilbert brought Skansi home on another fielder's choice. Gilbert advanced to scoring position on a passed ball, but both runners were left stranded.
Forno continued on the mound in the top of the sixth inning and retired the leadoff batter. The Blue Raiders then added to their lead with a home run to left center. The next batter walked, and then the next batter lined out to center field. Forno struck out the next batter, but his strikeout pitch hit the front of home plate and jumped over the catcher to the backstop, allowing the runner to reach first base. After walking the next man, Forno regained his rhythm and struck out the final batter of the inning.
A lone single from Park was all the Tigers could manage in the bottom of the sixth inning, bringing Forno back out for the top of the seventh. The righty retired the leadoff man, and then a hit batter, a walk, and a single put him in trouble. Forno locked back in and struck out the next two batters to hang a big zero for the Tigers.
Other than a single from Wischnack, the Tigers went quietly in the bottom of the seventh inning. In the top of the eighth inning, the Tigers called for Jayden Parsons to take the mound, making his fourth appearance of the season. Parsons retired the first two batters of the inning while picking up a strikeout. Parsons walked the next batter, who stole second and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Another walk put runners at the corners, and then, while the runner from first attempted to steal second, another wild pitch allowed him to reach third base while plating the other runner. A third walk put runners at the corners again, and then a double to right center plated two more runs. The Tigers were forced to go deeper into their bullpen and called for Ethan Wood to stop the bleeding. Though Wood's first batter reached on an infield single, the righty stopped the bleeding with a much-needed strikeout.
Chasing a nine-run deficit, the Tigers aimed to punch back hard in the bottom of the eighth inning. Fujie was the man for the job, as he led off with his second homer of the day to right-center. Gonzalez and Park followed up with back-to-back walks, and then Brock Brubaker torched a double to left field that plated Gonzalez. With two men in scoring position, River Terry did his job and launched a towering sac-fly to center field that plated Park and advanced Brubaker to third base. With two outs, James Teets kept the inning alive with a single to left field that brought home Brubaker, and he was pinch-run for by Proctor. Wischnack followed up with a walk, and then both runners advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch. Unfortunately, they were both left stranded.
Wood continued on the mound in the top of the ninth inning, and the leadoff batter reached on an error to shortstop. Wood responded with his second strikeout, and then a fielder's choice helped the Tigers get the out at second base. The runner on first stole second, and then an infield single put runners at the corners. Wood responded again with his third strikeout, hanging a big scoreless inning.
Unfortunately, the Tigers' offense was fanned in order to finish the game.
The Tigers lost game two with six runs on eight hits and three errors, and the Blue Raiders won with 11 runs on 12 hits and one error.
With more bad weather in the forecast sets the Tigers up to finish their final conference game on Saturday, April 25th. The Tigers are set to play the Blue Raiders again at 3 p.m. ET in Campbellsville, Ky.
