PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville split a doubleheader with Cleary (Mich.) University on Friday. The Cougars won the opener 6-2 while the Bears took the finale 6-1.

The day was highlighted at the plate by graduate student right fielder Noah Helton, who had four hits including a double, a home run and five RBIs, and with the arm of second-game starter Riley Paulino, who went the distance for the win.
 
The teams are scheduled to play another doubleheader starting at noon Saturday at Johnnie LeMaster Field.
 
Cleary 6, UPike 2: The Cougars broke free from a tie game with runs in each of their final three at bats to win the opener.
 
Cleary scored in the top of the first when junior third baseman Brady Alverson hit a two-run homer to right. Right fielder Kristian Scalf, who led off the game with a sharp single, scored in front of him.
 
The Bears evened the score with single runs in the first two innings. Third baseman Ryan Sartin led off the bottom of the first with a single to right-center field and later scored on a hit by first baseman Austin Gurney.
 
In the second, shortstop Francis Subero opened the inning with a single to right. Two outs later he scored on the second hit of the game by Sartin. The score remained tied until the Cougars scored with two outs in the top of the fifth. Alverson, who led off with a single to center, scored when left fielder Robert Kortas doubled.
 
They added another run in the sixth when pinch hitter Andrew Piloske reached on an error and scored courtesy runner Ashton Saigh. In the seventh, two insurance runs scored when pinch hitter Juan Munoz singled to left to deliver Brice Wesley and Gavin Kempainen.
 
Kameron Brodeur was the pitcher of record for the Bears, going 5-1/3 innings. He allowed eight hits and four runs, three of which were earned. He struck out three. Nate Raniszewski went the distance for the Cougars, allowing seven hits and two earned runs. He struck out five and walked one.
 
Sartin had three hits to lead the Bears out of the leadoff spot. Gurney followed with two knocks while Subero and Helton had one each.
 
UPike 6, Cleary 1: The Bears exacted a measure of revenge with a win in the nightcap of the twin bill. The scoring started in the bottom of the third when Helton singled in Tyler Maynard, who reached on an infield error.
 
The Bears stretched the lead with a three-run fifth inning that was key by the first home run of the season for Helton, a titanic blast that sailed over the scoreboard in straightaway center. Gurney followed with a single to left and scored from first when a hit off the bat of Subero went under the glove of an outfielder to make it 4-0.
 
The Cougars got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth when Kempainen doubled and scored on a passed ball.
 
The Bears added two runs in the eighth, and again it was Helton doing the damage. He had a two-run double to score centerfielder Tyler Freas and courtesy runner Ian Setzer.
 
But that was all the Cougars could manage off Paulino, who went the distance to improve to 2-0 on the season. He allowed five hits and struck out 11.
 
Helton finished the game 3-of-5 with a double, the homer and five RBIs. Subero and Gurney had two hits each, while Freas and catcher Samuel Torres had a hit apiece.