Montreat, NC – UPIKE baseball earned their first win of the 2021 season on Tuesday, defeating Montreat 4-1 in game two of the doubleheader. The Bears split on the day, dropping game one by a score of  5-3.

Game 1 | L, 5-3 - 3 Runs, 9 Hits, 0 Errors

Eduardo Bello and Noah Helton led the Bears at the plate in game one, responsible for all three of the Bears runs. Helton went 2-3 with a pair of singles and a walk, scoring twice on hits from Bello. A redshirt sophomore from Columbia State, Bello went a perfect 3-3 with a pair of RBIs. Jared Kirkman tallied a pair of hits, poking singles in the first and fourth innings while both Darius Bomer and Demarco Miller went 1-3.

Noah Fernandes got the start on the mound and went an inning and a third before relieved by Colin Fenili in the second. Fenili gave the Bears three innings and an out, allowing five hits and striking out four before Kevin Justice took to the mound for the first time this season to close. Justice hurled one complete, allowing one hit and no runs.

The first game of the day was an offensive showing which featured 20 hits between the two teams, nine belonging to the Bears. Montreat had three hits in the first and got off to a hot start with a two-RBI double with no outs. The Cavaliers added a run in the second but it would be UPIKE who would strike in the fourth frame via an Eduardo Bello RBI. Noah Helton crossed on Bello's shot before Jared Kirkman scored on a stolen base later in the inning. Helton scored once more in the sixth, once again on an RBI from Bello.

The Bears were unable to score in the final inning and fell 5-3.

Game 2 | W, 4-1 – 4 Runs, 4 Hits, 2 Errors

The Bears recorded their first win of 2021 in the second seven-inning affair with the Cavaliers in what was a quieter bout offensively. UPIKE's bright spot in game two was Dakota State transfer Ethan Cernohous who got the start, allowing just one hit through three innings and earning the win. Braxton Ratliff took to the mound in the fourth and gave UPIKE three innings giving up three hits and a run before Gabriel Ferrell earned the save by shutting out Montreat in the final inning. Ferrel's one inning effort featured a pair of strikeouts in his debut.

Offensively, Bomer led the Bears with a pair of hits including his single in the top of the fourth where he would eventually score via a sacrifice bunt from Mikey Swails. Tyler Maynard connected for his first double of the season, sending a blooper to shallow right field in the third. Maynard also scored a run for the Bears on a sacrifice fly from Bomer.

Helton notched his second stolen base of the season in the first inning after reaching on a walk, later scoring in the inning.

The Bears capitalized on mistakes from Montreat early in game two, putting three runs acrossed in the first inning on a pair of walks and an error. UPIKE managed their fourth and final run of the ballgame in the fourth frame, recording two hits in the inning. Montreat's lone run came on error and the Bears held the Cavaliers to just five hits in the contest.

UPIKE baseball returns to action this Saturday, February 20^th at home against Concordia. Saturday's double header is set for 2 PM at Johnnie Lemaster Field.