Athens, TN – UPIKE baseball hit the road Tuesday afternoon for a midweek bout with the fifth ranked Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan, dropping 5-2 in the nine-inning affair.

The Bears made a push late in the game, picking up both runs in the seventh and eighth innings, totaling eight hits in the contest. As a team the Bears hit .222, poking five singles and a trio of doubles.

Austin Wetherington got his first start of the season, going five innings on the mound. The junior allowed three runs on six hits and walked three. The Bears held Tennessee Wesleyan to just three hits through the first four innings but the Bulldogs struck first with an RBI single to right in the bottom of the fourth.

Tyler Freas led the Bears offensively, going 2-4 with a pair of doubles. Freas picked up a run in the seventh inning after reaching on a hit by pitch before stealing second and later scoring on an RBI groundout by Jared Kirkman. Ryan Sartin also connected for a pair of hits including a double in the top of the sixth.

Demarco Miller crossed the plate for the Bears second run of the contest in the top of the eighth. Miller beat out the throw for an infield single before stealing second to put himself in scoring position. Schwalbach singled to right field later in the inning, picking up an RBI that scored Miller.

AJ Miller made his first appearance on the mound for the Bears, tossing a pair of innings where the sophomore allowed just one hit. Miller struck out a pair and allowed two runs (one earned).

UPIKE baseball opens the home season this weekend with a four-game series against Cleary University. Game one from Johnnie LeMaster Field is slated for Friday, February 11^th at 2:00 PM. Games three and four will start at 12:00 PM on Saturday.