PORTSMOUTH, Ohio – Anthony Roberts hit his second and third home runs of the season to lift the University of Pikeville baseball team over Shawnee State 5-2 in 11 innings on Saturday afternoon.

Roberts -- who is the first Bear to hit multiple home runs in a game since Mike Peluffo last April – finished with three hits in the game and was the only UPIKE player to hit for extra bases. Shawnee State hit four doubles, but it wasn't enough to overcome the long-distance blasts by Roberts.

Josh Bailey, Justin Beatty and Travis Haen also added singles for the Bears which outhit SSU 6-5 overall.

Five pitchers took to the mound for Pikeville in the lengthy contest with reliever A.J. Carkner (1-5) grabbing the win after not allowing a hit and striking out two batters in the final 1 2/3 innings. Aaron Hedgecock started the game and allowed two runs on two hits and walked six batters in five innings.

Derek Moore lasted eight innings in his start for SSU, leaving the game with the score tied 2-2 after allowing two runs and striking out five batters. Jesse James pitched a flawless ninth, but Brady Knittel ultimately took the loss after allowing the three runs in the 11tth, of which only one was earned after the defense got a little sloppy behind him.

For the first seven innings, Roberts was the only offense for UPIKE as he hit solo home runs in the second and seventh innings. The latter off of Moore tied things up at 2-2, making for an exciting finish in extras.

With two outs in the 11th and most people thinking about playing 12 frames, Beatty thought different for the Bears as he hit a single that deflected off the pitcher and rolled past the second baseman. Roberts, looking to add to his gaudy stat line, did just that in the next at bat with a shallow double that allowed pinch runner Daniel Sterenberg to hustle all the way home from first for the go-ahead run.

With SSU delated, UPIKE would go on to score two more insurance runs on an error as Carkner held off the SSU bats in the bottom of the inning.  

-UPIKE-