Pikeville, Ky. - After splitting games one and two with the Freed-Hardeman Lions Saturday, the Lions took the series with a 5-2 win over the Bears on Sunday.
Game 1 - UPIKE 2, Freed-Hardeman 18 (7 innings)
FHU's offense got off to a hot start in game one, scoring six runs in the top of the first. The Lions continued to pour on the runs, scoring two runs in innings two through seven. After falling behind by a wide margin, the Bears finally got a run across the plate when Kyle Williams scored on a pass ball. One inning later, Tyler Maynard hit an RBI single but the Bears would not score again in this one and the Lions took game one by a final count of 18-2.
Ryan Sartin went 3-4 in game one while Tyler Maynard went 2-4 with an RBI. As a team, the Bears scored two runs on seven hits and committed zero errors.
Game 2 - UPIKE 4, Freed-Hardeman 2
The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but the Bears tied it one frame later. Ryan Sartin knotted the score at 1-1 after Noah Helton grounded out. The game did remain tied for long, however, as the Lions took the lead right back with a double into left field.
In the bottom of the fourth, Greg Lile stepped up to the plate with two outs. Lile hit a ball to right center and doubled, then advanced to third on a pass ball. Tyler Freas then tied the score at 2-2 with a double, scoring Lile.
Neither team scored again until UPIKE loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Tyler Freas came to the plate and was hit by a pitch, scoring a run and giving the Bears the lead. Noah Brooks came up after Freas and he reached by way of walk, giving UPIKE a 4-2 lead. The Bears retired the Lions in order in the ninth and took game two.
On the mound, Kameron Brodeur got the start in game two and had himself quite an outing. Brodeur hurled 89 pitches over 7.0 innings, allowed two runs (one earned) and struck out three. Ethan Cernohous checked into the game in the top of the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings to give the Bears the win.
Game 3 - UPIKE 2, Freed-Hardeman 5
Just like games one and two, FHU crossed the plate in the first inning. The Lions scored two in the first, but the Bears got one back. Noah Helton tacked on his 25th RBI of the season with a sac fly, scoring Ryan Sartin.
Over the next three innings, both the Lions and the Bears got runners into prime scoring position but struggled with run support. Ryan Ratliff, who got the start on the hill for the Bears, tamed the Lions in innings one through four but ran into some static in the fifth. The junior righthander from Catlettsburg, Ky. was pulled after 4.1 innings of work. FHU would plate three runs in the fifth.
Trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Samuel Torres reached base on an error. Demarco Miller came in to pinch run, then scored after a sacrifice groundout by Ryan Sartin. Neither the Bears nor the Lions scored again in this one and FHU won game three.
Despite today's loss, the Bears did have some standout performances from shortstop Kyle Williams and reliever Grayson Harris. Williams went 3-4 and stole a base. Harris entered the game in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and one out. The junior righthander recorded back-to-back strikeouts to blank the Lions in the seventh. In the eighth, Harris shut the door once again on the Lions after the leadoff hitter doubled. Harris capped off his 2.2 scoreless innings of relief by retiring the Lions in order in the ninth.
UPIKE's record falls to 7-10 (1-5 MSC) following this weekend's series loss to FHU. The Bears will be back in action Tuesday afternoon when the Bluefield Rams come to Johnnie Lemaster Field.
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