Baseball Sweeps Day Two to Take Series Win Over Pikeville

Crestview Hills, Ky. - The baseball program at Thomas More took two of three from Pikeville after winning both games on day two by scores of 9-4 and 14-8. With the win the Saints improve to 29-14 on the year and 15-6 in Mid-South play.

• Pikeville would jump out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
• The Bears would extend their lead to 4-0 with a three-run home run in the top of the third.
• Thomas More would finally get on the board in the bottom of the third as Gavin Pearson (Burlington, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) would hit a single to left field to score AJ Enginger (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin) and Gavin Vogelgesang (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) to cut the deficit to 4-2.
• Bailey Martin would hit a single in the bottom of the fifth to score senior Brett Benzinger (Taylor Mill, Ky./New Richmond) to cut the Bears lead to just one.
• Pearson would score in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch to tie the game up at four all.
• Martin would once again single in the bottom of the sixth past the diving shortstop to score Vogelgesang to take a 5-4 lead.
• Derek Atwood (Burlington, Ky./Conner) would hit a bases clearing double in the bottom of the sixth to score Martin, Pearson, and Benzinger to increase the lead to 8-4.
• Cooper Daniels (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin) would pitch run for Atwood and would score on an error to bring the final tally to 9-4.

• Martin would go two-for-four at the dish with a pair of rbi's and a run scored.
• Pearson went two-for-three in the game with two rbi's and two runs scored while drawing a walk.
• Benzinger would collect two hits in three plate appearances with two runs score and a walk.
• Enginger slashed two hits in three plate appearances and would cross the plate once.
• Atwood went one-for-three with three rbi's and would draw a walk.

• Sophomore pitcher Landon Scott (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) would get the nod on the mound throwing five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and collected seven strikeouts.
• Sophomore Zach Dugan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) would pick up the win in relief after throwing two shutout innings, only allowing one hit.

• The Saints would get on the board early in game two as Brady Baldock (Burlington, Ky./St. Henry) would hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead.
• In the bottom of the third Bailey Martin would hit a home run of his own scoring him and Pearson for a 3-0 lead.
• Baldock would strike once again in the bottom of the third with a two-run home run of his own to also score Atwood to increase the lead to 5-0.
• Junior Noah Weingartner (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) would close out the bottom of the third by scoring on an error to take a 6-0 lead.
• UPIKE would score two runs in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 6-2.
• The Bears would score a run in both the fifth and sixth innings to make the deficit only two (6-4).
• In the bottom of the sixth Bailey Martin would single to left to score Benzinger from second to increase the lead to 7-4.
• Baldock would pick up another rbi this time via a sacrifice fly to score Pearson from third.
• Enginger collected an rbi with a sac fly as well in the bottom of the sixth by scoring Bailey Martin from third.
• Brennan Martin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) would pick up a pair of rbi's in the inning with a single into left field to score Aiden Reverman (Westerville, Ohio/Lakota West) and Atwood for a 11-4 lead.
• Pearson would collect two rbi's to close out the inning as he hit a single up the middle to score both Weingartner and Ben Duncan (Hilliard, Ohio / Hilliard Bradley) for a 13-4 lead.
• UPIKE picked up a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 13-6.
• The Bears would strike again in the top of the eighth by pushing a run across to make the score 13-7.
• First-year Danny Flanigan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) would hit a pinch hit single to right to score Pearson from third in the bottom of the eighth to increase the lead to 14-7.
• UPIKE would score the final run of the evening in the top of the ninth as the final score would come to 14-8.

• Pearson would go two-for-three with two rbi's, three runs scored, and would draw two walks.
• Baldock went two-for-four with four rbi's, two runs scored, and two home runs.
• Bailey Martin picked up two hits in six plate appearances with three rbi's, two runs scored, and a home run.
• Atwood collected two hits in four plate appearances with two runs scored and a walk.
• Benzinger had two hits once again this time in five plate appearances with a run scored and drew a walk.

• Graduate Kyle Fieger (Ft. Mitchell, Ky./Beachwood) would throw six complete innings allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out three and would pick up the win.
• Sophomore Mason Berger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) threw one inning, allowing one earned run on one hit.
• Senior Mitch Mierke (Milford, Ohio/Milford) pitched the final two frames allowing one earned run on one hit.

• Baseball will return to the diamond next week when they host Cumberland (Tenn.) in an opening round Mid-South Conference Tournament series with the times and dates to be determined.