LAURINBURG, N.C. -- For the second straight day, the University of Pikeville baseball team split a doubleheader at St. Andrews, falling 12-7 in the opener before winning 12-2 in game two on Saturday.

Jake Hamilton took the loss in game one after allowing six runs in the first inning and Aaron Hedgecock collected the gake-two win by allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.

Jacob Alverado led the offense in the loss with two hits, driving in one run and scoring two himself with a walk and stolen base. Alec Barba gave a lift in the win as he drove in three runs on three hits.

Hamilton's first start opened with the first batter reaching on an error, and after walking the next batter, it didn't take long until the bases were loaded with no outs. The Knights ended up scoring six runs on five hits in the frame and had built a 10-0 lead before the Bears finally got a run back in the fifth inning.

It was 11-1 in the top of the seventh when Jonathan Crowe took over for St. Andrews starter Zach Mathes who had shut down UPIKE with seven strikeouts and only two hits allowed. Crowe and Jordan DeBerry after him failed to record an out before the Bears had added six runs to make it 12-7.

With runners on third and second, the threat was ended when Shane Williams flew out to left field, preserving a win that nearly got away from the Knights.

In game two, St. Andrews once again built an early lead, but this time it was only 2-0 through two innings. UPIKE erased the deficit in the third on a Luke Hartlage single and Jacob Alverado hustling home on a wild throw. To innings later, the Bears added five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to take control of the game for good.

A bases-loaded double by Brendan Halstrom in the fifth inning provided the biggest spark before Barba hit a two-run single with two outs later in the frame. Nelson Muniz provided the big hit of the next inning with a two-run double to left.

Jay Vincent rounded out the scoring in the final inning with a single to score Alverado, giving the Bears a 10-run win.

UP NEXT

UPIKE hits the road again next Friday and Saturday for three games at Point in East Point, Ga.

GAME ONE - St. Andrews 12, UPIKE 7

(L) Jake Hamilton: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 Ks

Jorge Perez: 1-3, RBI, 2B

Matt Peterson: 2-4, RBI, R

Jacob Alverado: 2-3, RBI, 2 R, BB, SB

GAME TWO - UPIKE 12, St. Andrews 2

(W) Aaron Hedgecock: 5.0 IP, 4 H 2 ER, 5 Ks, 4 BB

Nelson Muniz: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 R, BB

Brendan Halstrom: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBIs, R

Alec Barba: 3-4, 3 RBIs, R

-UPIKE-