The University of Pikeville baseball team swept a doubleheader from visiting Thomas More University on Saturday afternoon, winning by scores of 3-1 and, in 10 innings, 9-8.
The sweep gave the Bears a 2-1 win of the weekend series, their fourth Mid-South Conference series win in a row. Coach Cody Andreychuk's team is now 18-18 on the season and 11-9 against league opponents.
Next up for the Bears will be a couple of nonconference games, first on Tuesday at Johnson (Tenn.) University and then on Wednesday afternoon at home against Alice Lloyd. The Bears are slated to host Georgetown College on Friday and Saturday in Mid-South play.
Bears 3, Saints 1: UPIKE scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull out the win in the opener of Saturday's twin bill.
Thomas More scored what would prove to be its only run of the game in the top of the sixth to tie the score. It came when designated hitter Brennan Martin singled to center to score shortstop Gavin Pearson, who led off the inning with an infield single.
The Bears wasted no time moving back in front in the bottom half. First baseman Tyler Maynard laced a single to center. He moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. Right fielder Noah Helton walked and stole second, with Maynard scoring on the play to make it 2-1.
Helton scored the insurance run when left fielder Noah Brooks singled to center.
The Bears had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when third baseman Ryan Sartin led off with a double and scored on a two-out double by Helton.
The Bears got six innings from Jairemy Pulido, who improved to 3-3 on the season. He allowed three hits, struck out one and worked around five walks. Ethan Cernohous struck out two in the seventh as he earned his third save of the year.
Sophomore Austin Dennis pitched 5-1/3 innings, allowing five hits and all three runs to fall to 5-2 on the season. He struck out two and walked two.
Bears 9, Saints 8, 10 innings: Maynard's bases-loaded single scored courtesy runner Tyler Freas in the bottom of the 10th to give the Bears the back end of the doubleheader.
Most of the offense came in the first three innings. Thomas More scored two in the top of the first. It began with a home run off the bat of Gavin Vogelgesang. Pearson walked and scored on an infield error to make it 2-0.
UPIKE got one back in the bottom half when Sartin doubled to left and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Saints responded with one in the top of the second. A.J. Enginger led off with a single and scored when Vogelgesang singled to make it 3-1.
The Bears, however, took control of the game by scoring six times in the bottom of the second, taking advantage three Saints errors. Designated hitter Greg Lile reached on the first of those to lead off the inning and scored from first when centerfielder Demarco Miller tripled into the gap in right center.
He scored on a wild pitch to even the count. Second baseman Matt Crum put runners on the corners with an infield single and Freas, running for catcher Sammy Torres, scored when Sartin reached on an infield error to make it 4-3.
Kyle Williams loaded the bases with an infield single, and when Maynard reached on an errant throw, both Sartin and Crum scored to make it 6-3. The scoring ended when Lile hit a sacrifice fly to score Williams.
The Saints got two runs back in the top of the third. The inning began when Bailey Martin hit a solo home run. Derek Atwood doubled and then scored when Enginger hit a sacrifice fly.
The scored remained 7-5 until the sixth, although the Bears left five stranded in the fourth and fifth. Helton reached on an infield single and scored when Lile laced a two-out double to left.
After each team left two runners on base in a scoreless 7th, the Saints began their comeback with one in the eighth. Brady Baldock doubled to the right-center gap and came around on a sacrifice fly by Volgelgesang.
The Saints tied the game with two in the top of the ninth. Bailey Martin walked to start the inning and later scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of catcher Jacob Caruso. Enginger later singled to left to score pinch runner Noah Weingartner to tie the game.
Miller and Crum had two hits apiece for the Bears, who had 10 in the finale.
Bailey Martin had four hits to lead the Saints, who had 17 in the game. Atwood, Enginger and Vogelgesang had two each.
Cernohous was the last of four Bears pitchers and got the win, improving to 4-3 on the season. Grayson Harris did yoman's work for the Bears, throwing five innings of one-hit baseball in relief.
Justin Bierbaum (3-2) got the decision for Thomas More despite pitching the final 3-1/3 innings. He struck out five, walked none and allowed three hits.
--UPIKE--
