Pikeville, KY – Despite matching their season-high with 15 hits, the Bears fell 14-9 to Bluefield Tuesday afternoon. The nine-inning affair was loaded with offense, with Bluefield pulling away in the final three innings.

Now 20 games into the season the Bears sit at 8-12 overall as they prepare for a weekend series with MSC foe Bethel this weekend.

Freshman Hunter Heath got the start for the Bears and gave UPIKE four innings of work, allowing six runs (6E) on nine hits. Heath struck out three before being relieved by AJ Miller in the fifth. Miller would get the loss after giving up three runs in the fifth but Grayson Harris tossed the final four innings. Harris allowed five runs (2E) and was hit eight times.

Offensively the bats were working for the Bears, and five finished with a multi-hit game including Demarco Miller, Tyler Freas, Ryan Sartin, and Tyler Maynard who all had three. Cam Revolt, Maynard, Miller and Freas all knocked doubles as well, with Freas and Sartin tagging three RBIs.

Bluefield went up 2-0 quickly after the first inning, adding a third run two innings later before the Bears answered. The third frame saw them scratch three runs on a pair of hits, set in motion by an RBI double off Freas' bat that scored Zach Hill. Sartin followed up with a two-RBI single to right center which tied the game.

The teams traded runs as the Rams took the lead back in the fourth, one they wouldn't give up for the remainder of the contest. UPIKE put together a three run inning in the fifth with an RBI double from Demarco Miller and RBI singles from Freas and Sartin which made it 9-8 heading into the sixth.

UPIKE's last run came in the seventh on an RBI line-out from Jared Kirkman, scoring Miller but Bluefield tacked two more insurance runs in the eighth to seal the win.

The Bears get back to work tomorrow, Wednesday, March 2nd as they head to Pippa Passes to take on Alice Lloyd College.