Pikeville, KY – Baseball wrapped up a four-game home stand against St. Francis (Ind.) Saturday afternoon with a pair of wins. The Bears found themselves locked in close games late, walking-off game one 8-7 before claiming the 7-5 in game two.
UPIKE won their first games against the Cougars since March of 2017, making the all-time series 6-4 in favor of St. Francis. The pair of wins move the Bears to 7-9 on the season which is their best start since 2019.
Game 1
Ryan Ratliff started game one for the Bears and tossed for five innings, allowing seven runs (5E) on five hits. The sophomore struck out a pair and threw into four ground outs. Earning the win for the Bears was
Nolan Fernandes who came in for the final inning and allowed no runs on a single hit.
Several Bears had good days at the plate including
Jared Kirkman,
Tyler Maynard,
Tyler Freas, and Eddie Bello who all recorded a pair of hits. Kirkman offered up a two run performance featuring an RBI double in the fourth that gave the Bears the lead. Also scoring a pair of runs was
Demarco Miller who tagged a double and was scored by Kirkman's RBI.
Tyler Maynard busted his first double of the season and finished with pair of RBIs.
Anthony Houk stepped up in a big way in the bottom of the six with the bases loaded, as the Bears trailed by five runs. Houk blasted a bases-clearing double to left center to make it a two-run ball game.
Freas had a solid game at 2-5 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base but his biggest impact came in dramatic fashion. After Helton was hit by pitch, Bello and Kirkman walked which set the stage for a bases loaded walk-off. Freas delivered with a single through the left side to secure the win for the Bears.
Game 2
Coach Andrychuk opted for
Ethan Cernohous to start in game two and the Texas native offered three innings allowing four runs (3E) on five hits, striking out three.
Ty Yates relieved in the fourth inning and went for two innings allowing one run on a hit. Fernandes wrapped up an excellent series with a save after holding the Cougars scoreless for the final two innings.
At the plate,
Noah Helton delivered one of the best performances of his career with a 3-3 outing that filled the stat sheet. Helton blasted his first home run of the season, had three RBIs and tallied a stolen base. The sophomore's shot over the left field fence scored Bello and put the Bears up by three runs.
Freas, Maynard, Sartin, and Bello all tagged a hit as well and Sartin added his first stolen base of the season. Maynard's double came in the bottom of the first and tied the game at 2-2 as it crossed Sartin and Freas who had singled to lead off the inning. Both Sartin and Bello scored two runs in the contest.
Up Next
Baseball has a quick turn around as they gear up for a double-header with Johnson University on Tuesday, February 22
nd. First pitch of game one from Johnnie LeMaster Field is set for 1PM.
