Bulldogs Earn Twinbill Split with No. 18 UNOH

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – The Union College baseball team picked up a doubleheader spilt in against No. 18 Northwestern Ohio on Friday.

Union fell 13-8 in the opener in nine innings before closing things out with a 5-3 win.

With the split, Union moves to 2-2 overall, while Northwestern Ohio is now 9-3 overall.

Game One – UNOH 13, Union 8

The Racers out hit the Bulldogs in the first game 16-9 and scored five runs in the eighth inning to take the lead for good.

The game was back-and-forth starting in the second inning. Pudge Morgan (SO/Glasgow, Ky.) started the Bulldogs off with a RBI double to put Union on the board first. The Racers tied the game in the fourth, before taking the lead 2-1 in the top of the fifth.

The Bulldogs didn't go down without a fight as Jake Mendoza (JR/Ewa Beach, Hawaii) hit a two-run RBI double, followed by Morgan hitting a two-run homer to take an 8-5 lead.

The Racers answered back three runs in the top of the eighth, followed by three runs in the top of the ninth. Union wasn't able to find the momentum in the final innings as the first game of the series went to the Racers 13-8.

Morgan led the Bulldogs going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and a homerun, while Mendoza went 1-for-4 from the plate with two RBIs.

Game Two – Union 5, UNOH 3

In the final game of the series, the Bulldogs came out with vengeance and jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead.

Leadoff batter Sinjin Shoop (JR/Williamsport, Md.) scored for the Bulldogs in the first inning. After getting on with a single and advancing to second on a walk, Shoop scored when he stole third and advanced home on a sac fly. Union struck again after Nick Shumaker (JR/Paducah, Ky.) hit an RBI single to score Joe Gaines (JR/London, Ky.).

The game remained 2-0 until the bottom of the fourth when shortstop Ty Holmstrom (JR/Pasadena, Calif. ) belted a two-run homerun, increasing the Bulldogs lead to 4-0.

Racers rallied back in the fifth in getting one run, but the Bulldogs would increase their lead in the fifth inning, adding a run in frame off a bases loaded groundout. Northwestern scored two in the sixth to close in on Union, but the game was called in the seventh as the Bulldogs took the game 5-3.

Holmstrom was on fire in the second game, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Daniel Neal (JR/London, Ky.) finished 1-for-2 from the plate with a run scored and two RBIs.

Austin Dingee (SR/Bay City, Mich.) threw five innings, allowing four hits and one run on the game, while striking out four earning the win for the Bulldogs.

Up Next

Union plays host on Tuesday against the Patriots of University of the Cumberlands (Ky.). First pitch is set for 2 p.m.