WILLIAMSBURG, Ky.. -- Cody Chagnon tallied three hits on the day, including a two-run home run with two outs in the third inning of game one, but it wasn't enough to get the University of Pikeville past Cumberlands, losing 8-7 and 9-1 in the final games of the weekend Mid-South Conference series on Saturday.
UPIKE has one MSC series left on April 24-25 at conference-leading and 15th-ranked Campbellsville. After Saturday's losses, the Bears dropped to 15-24 overall and 0-17 in league play.
The Bears, who will be the No. 8 seed at the MSC Championship on April 29-May 3, could play a part in deciding their first-round opponent against the Tigers. Campbellsville, St. Catharine and Lindsey Wilson are in a tight race for the No. 1 seed with two games between first and third.
Game one against Cumberlands started out as good as UPIKE could want it, scoring the first five runs to lead 5-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning. But things went south from there as the Patriots loaded the bases on a walk, error and another free pass.
The first Cumberlands run scored on another walk, then Jose Alonzo roped a three-run double to get back within one at 5-4.
Logan Sales started the game, but was pulled after the double and walking three batters, Dalton Dahley pitched the last six frames, scattering 10 hits for four runs with four strikeouts.
The Patriots took the lead for good in the fifth as they got to Dahley for two runs to take a 6-5 lead before adding two more scores in the seventh.
Trailing 8-5, UPIKE made a late push at a comeback, scoring two runs in the eighth inning on an RBI single by second baseman Patrick Schloss and sacrifice bunt by Zach Nothwehr. The inning ended on a fly out by centerfielder Josh Bailey and Chagnon tallied the only hit in the ninth.
Dahley dropped to an even 3-3 on the mound with the loss, while Mathias Brewers picked up his first win of the season after allowing two runs on five hits in three innings. UPIKE's top performances at the plate came from Bailey driving in three runs on two hits and third baseman Erik Manning going 3 for 5 with a double.
After the one-run loss, the Patriots jumped on the Bears early in game two, scoring two runs in the first inning and four more in the third to lead 6-0. UPIKE scored its only run in the fourth inning on a Chagnon double, but came up empty the rest of the way as Cumberlands added three more runs.
James Brooks (2-7) started and took the loss for the Bears, allowing seven runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts in five innings. Ricky Osorio improved to 4-1 with the win, allowing a single run on just four hits with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Â
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