Columbia, KY – Bears baseball hung their first conference win of the season over Lindsey Wilson on Sunday, splitting the double-header after falling 10-5 in game one. Game two was a high-octane fight that saw the Bears pull away to a 9-6 victory.

The Bears go 1-2 in the MSC opening series to move to 8-11 (1-2 MSC) on the season.

Game 1

Lindsey Wilson scratched four runs in the first three innings to take an early advantage, dialing in on Bear's starter Jairemy Pulido. The Blue Raiders didn't allow a hit from the UPIKE offense until the third frame when a Tyler Freas single gave the Bears some life.

Pulido was pulled in the fourth and finished with a line of 10 hits, eight runs (7E), and five strikeouts. Nolan Fernandes came in and finished up the last innings, giving up four hits and a pair of runs.

Cam Revolt would put the Bears on the board in unusual fashion, reaching on a walk, advancing twice on a wild pitch, before finally crossing the plate on a balk. Lindsey added insult to injury in the bottom half of the inning, crossing four runs. The seventh saw some life from UPIKE, aided by some pitching mistakes by the Blue Raiders. The Bears managed to score four runs on a single hit, which came as a two-RBI single up the middle by Eduardo Bello.

Game 2

Austin Wetherington picked up his second win of the season in game two, going a grueling 6.1 innings, giving up six earned runs and striking out three. Wetherington was followed up by Ethan Cernohous who pitched 2.2 innings and allowed just four hits and no runs as the Bears grabbed their first conference win.

The Bears' bats got hot in game two with five tallying a pair of hits. When it comes to power at the plate it was Tyler Maynard who piloted the attack with his first homerun of the season which came in the top of the first inning. Maynard packed the statsheet with another hit and a stolen base later in the contest.

Eduardo Bello was responsible for a pair of runs and went 2-5 while Samuel Torres recorded his best game at the plate with two hits. Jared Kirkman found success, going 2-5 with an RBI double in the fifth inning and also drew a pair of walks.

Tyler Freas sparked the scoring in the first inning, reaching on a single before speeding to third on an error by the right fielder. Freas was brought around on the next at-bat on a knock by Ryan Sartin before Maynard cleared the bases with his smash.

Revolt nabbed himself an RBI groundout in the third as the Bears crossed three more runs, strengthening their momentum. Torres scored Bello later in the inning with his single as the Bears held a confident 6-1 lead.

Lindsey crossed three in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 6-4 ballgame but the Bears answered on the top end of the fifth with a three run inning that included Kirkman's RBI double. The Bears kept LWC quiet for all but the seventh, giving up just two more runs before Sartin turned a double play to stifle the Blue Raiders.

UPIKE baseball gets back to action on Tuesday, March 1^st against Bluefield University. First pitch from Johnnie LeMaster Field is slated for 2:00 PM.