Louisville, KY – UPIKE baseball made their 2021 debut on Friday afternoon, opening the season against an NAIA Top 25 opponent in (11) Indiana University Southeast. The Bears would fall 12-3 but saw some bright spots in the loss.
With an almost entirely new roster, UPIKE baseball went head first into the 2021 campaign against a talented Grenadiers squad who went 18-1 a season ago. Newcomer
Collin Fenili got the call to start for the Bears, throwing four innings allowing six runs on six hits. Fenili tallied three walks and three strikeouts in his UPIKE debut.
Jairemy Pulido took over in the fourth, going three innings for the Bears, allowing three runs on seven hits.
Brady Schmidt took the relief duty, closing out the game with a walk, two hits, and three runs in one complete innings.
Offensively UPIKE slugged eight hits and walked three times, reaching base 38% of the time. Designated hitter and freshman Cam Murushi rocked a solo shot in the top of the second for the Bears first home run of the season and the lone RBI of the ball game for the Bears. Returners
Noah Helton and
Eduardo Bello both finished with two hits, including a double for Bello while Helton added a stolen base in the top of the third.
Jared Kirkman ripped a double in the top of the third as well, later scoring on a stolen base.
Absent Bello's first inning double, the Bear's offense really got started in the second and third, sparked by Marushi's solo slam. UPIKE scored one in both the second and in the third inning which featured two hits. UPIKE would strike again via
Noah Helton in the fifth frame. The Bears hung their final run in the seventh via
Jackson Porter who stole second base, reached third on a sac bunt from
Tyler Freas and finally crossed home after a missed catch from the Grenadiers short stop.
One area of improvement for the Bears will be capitalizing on base runners after day one. Friday's loss saw UPIKE leave nine runners stranded.
The Bears will rematch with IU-Southeast tomorrow, Saturday, February 5
th in a double-header. First pitch from St. Matthews Baseball Complex is set for 12 PM.