CINCINNATI – Two days before its home series finale, the University of Pikeville baseball team went on the road to split a doubleheader with Cincinnati Christian, winning game one 5-3 before dropping the finale 10-3 on Wednesday.

UPIKE is back on the diamond at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, hosting Cumberland (Tenn.) at Johnnie LeMaster Field. The Bears and Phoenix will wrap up the weekend series at Noon on Saturday with a doubleheader.

Pikeville was outhit 9-4 in the opener, but was able to get in front 3-0 in the first inning, allowing it to hold on for the 5-3 win. Travis Haen had the only extra-base hit in the game with a triple on his only hit, while Kase Mattingly, Peyton Dove and Alec Barba all stole a base.

Three CCU batters had two hits each, but the defense was strong behind starter Josh Bailey, helping him to the win after scattering six hits for a run in five innings with eight strikeouts.

The Bears (20-17) led 5-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh before CCU (7-27) tried to rally back with a pair of runs.

UPIKE did a little better at the dish in the finale as Bailey and Anthony Roberts hit home runs, but the Eagles were better as well, leading the game in hits again at 10-7.

They got a home run themselves from Andre Christopher, as well as doubles from Christopher and Austin Lenhardt. Robert Metz also drove in three runs on a hit and a walk to help CCU stay in front.

Pikeville led 1-0 after the first inning and after briefly falling behind, came back to knot the score at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. But a three-run rally by CCU in the bottom of the frame and four more runs in the sixth proved too much to overcome.

Matt Peterson, another position player making a start on the mound, took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and walks. Mark Walters staffed the game on the mound, but went with starter Mark Walters for the win after three innings in which he allowed one run on two hits.

-UPIKE-