Lebanon, Tenn. - The Bears were swept by Cumberland University (Tenn.) in their first Mid-South Conference series of the year.

Game 1: UPIKE 3, Cumberland 5 (7 innings)

Greg Lile got the scoring started in the top of the second with a sac fly. CU tied the score in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run. Neither team scored in the third or fourth. In the fifth, Greg Lile put UPIKE up 3-1 with a two-run blast to left field, his second home run of the year. Just like the second inning, though, the Phoenix tied the score in the next frame. 

After the Bears went down in order in the top of the sixth, the Phoenix tacked on two runs and held a 5-3 lead heading into the seventh inning. UPIKE fell 5-3 after going 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh. 

Greg Lile was 1-2 on the day with a home run and three RBIs. Lile is batting .286 and is second on the team in RBIs, driving home 18 on the year. 

Game 2: UPIKE 3, Cumberland 13 (7 innings)

UPIKE jumped on the Phoenix early in game two, scoring three in the top of the second. The Bears loaded the bases, then Cam Revolt scored on a wild pitch to break the scoreless tie. Ryan Sartin widened the lead to 3-0 with a two-run single right after. 

The Phoenix scored one in the bottom of the third, then tied it in the bottom of the fourth. Cumberland blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth, hanging ten runs on the Bears. The Bears did not come back and CU took game two. 

Ryan Sartin went 2-4 from the plate and knocked home a pair of RBIs in this one. UPIKE left eight on base in game two. 

Game 3: UPIKE 5, Cumberland 8

CU put two on the board in the bottom of the first, but the lead did not hold. Tyler Freas tied the score with a two run blast to left. Cumberland took the lead right back in the second with an RBI double. 

The Phoenix tacked on two more in the top of the fourth to go up 5-2, but the Bears did not waiver. Tyler Freas hit his third home run of the season in the top of the fifth to cut the CU lead to 5-3. One inning later, Cam Revolt tied the score with a two-RBI single, scoring Noah Helton and Kyle Williams. 

Cumberland tacked on a pair of runs in the seventh and one in the eighth. The Bears were unable to score in the ninth and lost 8-5. 

Tyler Freas led UPIKE's offense in game three, going 2-3 with two home runs, three RBIs and drew a walk. Freas is now second on the team in home runs with three. 
 

UPIKE's record on the year falls to 6-7 (0-3 MSC) following Thursday and Friady's results. The Bears will travel to Midway for their next matchup on March 1st.

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