Pikeville, KY – Bears baseball suffered a pair of losses at the hands of Bethel on Saturday, dropping game one 5-3 before the Wildcats rallied for a 20-2 win in game two. Bethel claims the series sweep, moving the Bears to 8-16 (1-5 MSC).

Game 1

Jairemy Pulido pieced together a stellar start in game one, working for 5 innings and a pair of outs. The senior allowed five runs (3E) on seven hits, punching a season high seven strikeouts. Nolan Fernandes finished the game, allowing a single hit and striking out a pair.

Four Bears tagged a hit in the contest, led by Tyler Maynard who connected for a double and later scored a run. Anthony Houk came up big in the bottom of the fourth with a 2-RBI shot down the right field line that gave the Bears the lead. Eduardo Bello and Samuel Torres both crossed home plate.

After a quiet offensive start in the opening frame, Bethel struck first in the second inning with a run scored. Tyler Freas knocked the Bears' first hit in the bottom of the third, but the fourth is where the Bears would scratch their three runs. Maynard smacked a lead-off double to right, advancing later on a Torres single before scoring on Houk's RBI. Demarco Miller made contact, forcing a fielders choice and picking up an RBI as Torres scored.

The Bears went hitless the remainder of the contest, as Bethel scored the go-ahead run in the fifth, taking on two more to secure the win.

Game 2

Austin Wetherington started and lasted 3.2 innings on the mound, allowing six more hits before being relieved in the fourth. UPIKE struggled to find footing and would throw four more out of the pen as the Wildcats continued to apply pressure at the plate.

Bello and Maynard recorded a pair of hits while Freas, Ethan Cernohous, Jared Kirkman, and Noah Helton all finished with one. Helton and Houk both connected for RBIs and Bello stole his fourth base of the season.

Bethel opened up game two with a three run inning featuring four hits. The Bears managed one hit in the first, two in the third, and another in the fifth but were held scoreless for the majority of the contest.

The Wildcats poured it on in the fourth inning, scratching nine runs to take a commanding 17-0 lead thanks in part to four hits and seven walks/hit by pitch.

Cernouhous ripped a single to lead off the fifth inning but the Bears wouldn't score until the sixth when a Helton RBI scored Greg Lile who singled to lead off the inning. Houk picked up his RBI via a groundout that scored Maynard which would be UPIKE's final run.

The Bears return to action on Tuesday, March 8^th as they head to Milligan, TN to take on the Buffaloes of Milligan University. First pitch is slated for 3:00 PM.