Box Score

JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University baseball team rallied to defeat Bethel University Friday night 7-4 at Fesmire Field. Union earned their first win of the season, moving to 1-3. Bethel dropped to 8-3 overall.

Union scored all seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally from a 4-0 deficit. The Bulldogs sent 11 batters to the plate in the eighth, pounding out five hits and taking advantage of three walks and a couple of wild pitches. Jim Martin tied the game when he scored on a wild pitch. The winning RBI was recorded by freshman Matthew Fuller who beat out an infield single, scoring Cole McAdams from third. The big insurance runs were produced on a 2-RBI double from Pierson Waring. Wacey Russell and Jim Martin also added RBI singles early in the inning.

McAdams and Fuller, both Huntingdon, Tenn. natives led Union with a pair of hits each. Waring's two RBI led Union. Seven different Union players combined for the nine total hits for the Bulldogs.

Bethel scored first in the game with a run each in the fourth and sixth innings. The Wildcats followed with a pair of runs in the seventh. Jerreld led Bethel with a 3-for-4 day with an RBI.

The game started great for the pitchers and both Cody Cunningham for Union and Chandler for Bethel allowed no hits through the first three innings. Bethel recorded the game's first hit in the fourth inning. Union followed with two hits in the bottom of the fourth.

Cunningham tossed seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts. Benjie Fesmire (1-0) tossed two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits, no walks and one strikeout to earn the win.

Bethel's Chandler tossed seven innings, allowing no runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts. Chambers started the eighth inning for Bethel, but record no outs, allowing four runs. Fisher took the loss, allowing three runs in his inning of relief.

Up next for Union will be a double-header at Bethel, Saturday, February 23 at noon.

#UNION#