KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Sixth-seeded Montreat (N.C.) College scored three times in the top of the ninth and held off No. 3 University of Pikeville 9-7 in the opening round of the 2024 Appalachian Athletics Conference baseball tournament on Tuesday afternoon.
 
As a result, the Bears will be in the consolation bracket, where they await the outcome of the 4 p.m. game between Tennessee Wesleyan and Union Commonwealth.
 
UPike (30-18) will play in the elimination game on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Hunter Wright Stadium.
 
After starting pitcher Riley Paulino needed only eight pitches to get through the top of the first inning, the Bears got him some breathing room when Noah Helton blasted a majestic blast over the wall in left field for a three-run home run. He drove in Cam Revolt and Tyler Maynard, who had singles to left to start the inning.
 
Helton's homer was his 16^th, extending his own single-season mark as well as his career record to 37. He also has 56 runs batted in.
 
Montreat scored single runs in consecutive innings. In the second, a bases-loaded sacrifice fly off the bat of Manny Moore scored Mitch Ball, who had walked. In the third, Ball led off with a single and scored on a double-play grounder.
 
The Cavaliers took their first lead of the day in the fourth. A sacrifice fly by Bell tied the game, and when Jadier Morelos singled in Caleb Abshier, the lead was 4-3.
 
The Bears wasted no time in tying the game. In the bottom of the frame Ryan Sartin led off with a single and scored on a single by Revolt. But the Cavs regained the lead in the fifth when Ball doubled and scored on a single by Jeff Cardazzone.
 
UPike took the lead again in the seventh. It began with one-out walks to Austin Gurney and Noah Brooks. It was again Sartin coming through, with his third hit of the day, a double to the gap in left-center to score both runs and put the Bears in front 6-5.
 
Again, the Cavs wasted no time tying the game. A Michael Bell double scored courtesy runner Andres Balart.
 
It was the ninth that did the Bears in. Cardazzone delivered a bases-loaded double to score two runs, and an Abshier sacrifice fly made the count 9-6.
 
In the ninth, the Bears began a rally when Brooks walked and Francis Subero singled. Torres delivered Brooks with a sacrifice fly, but that would end the threat.
 
Sartin's three hits was joined by two each by the top three hitters in the lineup. Revolt had two singles, a run scored an an RBI, Maynard singled and doubled and scored, while Helton had the homer, single, three RBIs and a run scored.
 
Gurney, Ian Setzer, Subero and Tyler Freas all added hits.