Alice Lloyd Baseball falls to University of Pikeville in pitchers duel

Pippa Passes, KY: The Alice Lloyd College Eagles (20-14) returned to Pippa Passes to battle the host UPike Bears (24-19) in a single game matchup. In a game with solid pitching both ways, the visiting team broke away late to take the decision, 5-1.

ALC opened the game with a quick score. Kyle Johnson (CF) reached base and later trotted home on a long sacrifice fly from Cory Jefferson (DH) to make it 1-0.

UPike knotted the score in the next inning, using a double and single to make things 1-1. Pitching than controlled the day until the Bear sixth inning. In that at-bat, the guests used a pair of singles and Eagle error to break the tie and inch ahead, 2-1. They would clich things two innings later.

In the Pikeville eighth, a single and two walks loaded the bases. A hit- batsman brought home a key score to put the orange and black ahead 3-1. Later, in the same inning, with the bases reloaded, a crucial error by the home club permitted a pair of Bears to race home. Now, the city-club led 5-1. From there the Eagles would go down to hand the victory to UPike.

At the plate, Diego Rodriguez finished 2-4 to provide half of his squad's hits. Jefferson and Caleb Justice (3B) provided the other hits with Jefferson delivering the lone RBI.

Colton Lovelace started on the mound for ALC and suffered the loss despite pitching a solid game. He allowed just 5 hits and 1 earned run while whiffing 3 in 7 innings of work. He was relieved by Challen Massengill (0.1 innings, 1 hit, 3 runs) and Matthew Hebar (1.2 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs).

The Eagles were outhit 6-4, and committed 2 crucial errors.