WEST POINT, Ga. -- The University of Pikeville baseball team went back on the road Friday and picked up its first two wins of the season, registering 4-2 and 5-4 decisions in a doubleheader at Point.

In the Skyhawks' (1-4) previous outing, they topped perennial power Cumberland (Tenn.), but the momentum didn't roll over to Friday as the Bears (2-2) rallied back from a 2-0 deficit in game one before building an early 5-0 lead in game two and holding on for the win.

Game One: UPIKE 4, Point 2

Point took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a pair of sacrifice flies as they led off with a single and walk before a balk from UPIKE starter James Brooks put it into scoring position with no outs. The two sac flies followed before Brooks got Juan Reyes to fly out and end the threat.

UPIKE didn't wait long to respond, tying things up in the third inning as Anthony Roberts singled and came home from third on an error, followed by an RBI single from first baseman Jay Vincent to get even.

Brooks took care of things on his end from there, keeping the Skyhawks quiet through four innings to tally the win after giving the game over to A.J. Carkner to pick up the save. Dylan Griffin was stuck with the loss after allowing four runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The Bears broke open the tie with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Outfielder Scottie Whitaker drove home the go-ahead run with a single, while second baseman Erik Manning drove in an insurance run in the sixth with the help of some sloppy fielding.

UPIKE dominated Point at the plate with a 10-2 hit advantage and only committed one error to the Skyhawks' four.  

Game Two: UPIKE 5, Point 4

This time around it was UPIKE gaining the lead first, and it did so in a big way with a five-run third inning.

The Bears collected just two hits in the frame, but two more Point errors were disastrous for the home team on the scoreboard. Whitaker was walked, then came home from second on an error to start the scoring and Manning ended the rally after grabbing a hit and coming home on a mistake as well.

Although UPIKE outhit Point 7-6, it failed to score again, instead counting on Dalton Dahley to keep the bats at bay. The Skyhawks started their comeback with two runs in the bottom of the third, but Dahley kept them quiet until the seventh when they scored two more to get within one.

A.J. Carkner entered in relief with one out and runners on first and second with a two-run lead. He struck out his first batter, but a double to right by the next batter scored a run to make it 5-4. With the tying run looking on from third, Carkner got the job done by getting Christian Cabral to fly out to center, giving him the save.   

UPIKE 4, Point 2

C Justin Beatty: 3-4, 2 2B, 2 R

1B Jay Vincent: 3-3, 2B, BB

RF Scottie Whitaker: 1-1, RBI, BB, HBP

LF Mike Peluffo: 0-3, 2 RBI

P James Brooks: 4 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 Ks, 4 BB

UPIKE 5, Point 4

2B Erik Manning: 3-4, 2 RBI

P Dalton Dahley: 6.1 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 5 Ks, 4 BB

Up Next

UPIKE and Point play the final portion of the three-game series at Noon ET on Saturday in West Point.

-UPIKE-