MARION, N.C. – UPIKE baseball picked up the first wins under first-year coach Casey Hamilton this weekend on the road at Montreat.

Game 1 – UPIKE wins 3-2

UPIKE's first win of the weekend came on the heels of a great start from Peyton Dove and one big inning as the Bears pulled out a 3-2 win in a growingly intense snowstorm on Saturday.

Dove pitched five innings and surrendered just three hits and struck out four in the winning effort.

All three of UPIKE's runs came in a long, drawn out fifth inning. UPIKE loaded the bases on an error, bunt single, and hit by pitch. Kase Mattingly brought in the first run on a fielder's choice, then another error on a ball in play from Eduardo Bello scored the other two runs in the inning.

After the three-spot in the fifth, UPIKE turned to Jorden Davy who closed out the game, surrendering just two unearned runs while striking out three in the two-inning save.

Game 2 – Montreat wins 8-6

The first game of Sunday's doubleheader got off to a brutal start as Montreat scored seven runs in the game's first three innings to build a big early lead. 

UPIKE began to come back in the fifth that had a similar buildup to game one's fifth inning where a Pastor Sanchez single, walk by Samuel Torres, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with no outs.

Tyler Menrath plated the Bears' first run with a fielder's choice, then an error on a ball in play from Kase Mattingly in the next at-bat scored another to cut the lead to 7-2.

Pikeville loaded the bases again with three straight walks to open the sixth and Noah Helton unloaded them with a bases clearing triple to draw the Bears within two at 7-5. Menrath then followed through with an RBI single to get within one.

Montreat tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to two. UPIKE got the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but couldn't complete the comeback.

Game 3 – UPIKE wins 10-4

UPIKE returned the favor in the rubber match of the series, opening the game with a big six-run first inning.

The Bears sent eight batters to the plate and scored five runs before recording an out in the inning. Mattingly got the scoring started with an RBI single to score Menrath, then Houk cleared the loaded bases two batters later with a three-RBI double to left center. Sanchez and Ronaldo Tijero each had RBIs in the inning as well.

This recap will be updated once full stat files are made available.

UP NEXT                                                                                        

UPIKE begins a scheduled 18-game homestand on Tuesday when it takes on Rio Grande in the 2020 home opening doubleheader at 1:00 PM at Johnnie Lemaster Field.

-UPIKE-