PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- It was a nail biter, but with a strikeout from A.J. Carkner, the University of Pikeville baseball team snapped a 34-game Mid-South Conference losing streak with a 10-9 win over No. 7 Lindsey Wilson on Saturday at Johnnie LeMaster Field.

The Bears (11-9, 1-2 MSC) hadn't beaten a conference opponent since March 30, 2014, but with pitching performances like Bryce Carden's and hot bats like Justin Beatty's, it's a season with a lot of promise for a group that won't go down without a fight.

Against a top-10 foe, UPIKE outhit it 15-13 and played error free in the field to hold on despite nearly giving up a 10-3 lead in the ninth inning. For the entire three-game series, the Bears and Blue Raiders tied at the plate with 32 hits each.

Carden was in control for 6 2/3 innings, scattering five hits for three runs with just one walk. He picked up the win to improve to 3-1 on the season after Carkner came in to get the final out with the bases loaded.

UPIKE had given Carden some big support with eight runs on eight hits in the second inning, then added two more runs in the middle frames to take a 10-2 lead into the seventh inning.

After a pair of singles and a hit batter scored a run for the Blue Raiders (19-7, 2-1 MSC), Carden was pulled for Aaron Hedgecock. The reliever had no problem ending the seventh and eighth frames, but the ninth was a bit of an adventure.

After opening the final inning with a pop out, Lindsey Wilson got things going with a bunt single, walk and single to center to load the bases. Logan Sales entered in the tough situation and gave up an RBI single and two run double to make it a 10-6 game.

The Blue Raiders added a sacrifice fly and RBI single and suddenly it was 10-8 as Carkner was sent to the mound with two outs and runners on first and second. Miguel Reyes, one of the top hitters in the NAIA, was his first batter and he looped an RBI single to center. Next up was Ray Gonzales who drew a walk to load the bases.

With only one run to spare, Carkner dug in with a 2-2 count and got Caleb Ratzman to swing through a strike three that saved what would be a tough loss to swallow for UPIKE.

Before all the dramatics, the Bears had some fun putting together an early lead behind Beatty, who went 4-5 with two RBIs and two doubles, and Travis Haen who kept up a recent hot streak with a pair of hits and a walk.

UPIKE opened the second inning with three straight hits before scoring five runs on a Jay Vincent sac fly, Mike Peluffo double, Jared Slone single and a double from Josh Bailey to force Blue Raider starter Justin Zielinski out of the game. The offense didn't stop though as Haen scored on a wild pitch, Beatty hit an RBI single and a run scored on a walk to make it 8-0 early.

Zielinski was stuck with the loss, dropping to an even 2-2 after allowing seven runs on seven hits without a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings.

Up Next

UPIKE will take a few days off over spring break before returning to action against Cumberland at 3 p.m. ET on Friday in Lebanon, Tenn.

-UPIKE-