Box Score Crestview Hills, Ky. - The baseball program at Thomas More fell to the Bears of Pikeville on Friday, April 22 in a single nine inning conference series opener by a score of 5-4. With the loss the Saints fall to 27-14 on the year and 13-7 in Mid-South play.
- Sophomore Brady Baldock (Burlington, Ky./St. Henry) would smack a single up the middle to score Derek Atwood (Burlington, Ky./Conner) in the bottom of the second to take an early 1-0 lead.
- UPIKE would get a run back in the top of the fourth via two errors to tie the game at one.
- In the bottom of the sixth Atwood would smash a home run to left center to score Bailey Martin (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) and himself for a 3-1 lead.
- The Bears would pick up one run each in the seventh and eighth inning to tie the game back up at three all.
- The Saints would re-take the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Jacob Caruso (Rootstown, Ohio/Rootstown) would single into left field to score Martin from second for a 4-3 lead.
- UPIKE would take the lead in the top of the ninth and Thomas More would be unable to rally and would fall 5-4.
- Atwood collected two hits in three plate appearances with two runs scored, two rbi's, a home run, and a double.
- Baldock went two-for-four with a pair of singles and an rbi.
- Caruso also notched two hits in four at bats with an rbi.
- Martin went one-for-four with two runs scored.
- Sophomore pitcher Mychal Grogan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits.
- First-year Austin Dennis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) threw one complete inning allowing two runs on one hit.
- Sophomore Zach Dugan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) pitched a third of an inning without allowing a hit.
Baseball will return to the diamond tomorrow, April 23 where they will host Pikeville in games two and three with first pitch set for 12 p.m. ET. The games will be the final regular season games played at Thomas More Field before moving to Florence next year.
