RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- Momentum is strong heading into this week's Mid-South Conference Baseball Championship Opening Round as the University of Pikeville has won four of its last five games after splitting a doubleheader at Rio Grande to close the regular season on Tuesday.

The Bears move to 24-21 overall, just one-win shy of last season's total, which was the most wins for the program since tallying 28 in 2001. The RedStorm are 29-17-1 with a four-game series at Asbury left in its regular season this weekend.

UPIKE continued to dig the long ball on Tuesday, using a 3-run shot by Alec Barba in the third inning of game one to help it hang on for an 11-5 win. Game two saw the offense sputter, after scoring 40 runs in its last four games, the Bears were shutout 3-0 despite being outhit just 4-3.

Barba, Anthony Roberts, Jay Vincent, Jorge Perez and Kase Mattingly had two hits each in game one, followed by Roberts, Mattingly and Brandon Sewell adding a hit each in game two.

It was a staff effort in both games on the mound for UPIKE as Chase McKinney claimed the win after allowing just one hit and striking out a batter in three innings of relief. Matt Peterson took the loss in the nightcap after allowing a run on one hit in two innings of work.

Trey Meade went five innings in game two to get the win for Rio Grande, allowing just three hits and striking out a pair.

UPIKE 11, Rio Grande 5

The Bears were down 1-0 after the first inning of the opener, but Barba seemed to take the lid off the offense with his home run in the third inning. Sewell added an RBI double in the frame to take a 4-1 lead. The good vibes continued in the fourth for UPIKE as Perez roped a run-scoring single, Roberts came home on a balk and Peterson hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.

Neither team would score again until the sixth when the RedStorm put together three runs on three hits to get within three at 7-4. But right on time, the Bears came up with four runs of their own in the seventh which all came with two outs.

Roberts scored two on a double and Shane Williams scored when Perez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. UPIKE's final run scored on a single by Peterson.

Trailing 11-4 with three outs left in the game, Rio Grande started the bottom of the seventh with a bang as Luis Jimenez led off with a home run to left field, but that's all the runs they could score off closer Max Hall. 

Rio Grande 3, UPIKE 0

Carlos Flores two-out home run in the first inning would end up being all Rio Grande needed to hold on for a 3-0 win behind the pitching of Meade in game two.

With the Bears only being able to muster three hits in the game, the RedStorm didn't take advantage with a ton of hits at the plate, but found a way to stay in front in other ways.

In the third inning the RedStorm earned a leadoff walk, moved the runner to second on a sacrifice bunt where Dominic Tiberi was able to steal third before scoring on a groundout.

Flores drove in the final run of the game when his single brought home Ty Warnimont from third.

UP NEXT

No. 6-seed UPIKE starts the MSC Championship at No. 3-seed Lindsey Wilson in the opening round for a best-of-3 series in Columbia. Game one is scheduled for a Friday, a time for first pitch will be announced soon.

-UPIKE-