JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University baseball team stayed perfect in Gulf South Conference play with a 9-1 win over Christian Brothers thanks to the help of an offensive explosion in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
GAME DETAILS
Final: Union 9 | CBU 1
Records: Union 14-1, 6-0 GSC | CBU 5-10, 1-5 GSC
Location: Fesmire Field – Jackson, Tenn.
Social: @UUAthletics  |  #WeAreUU  |  UUAthletics.com
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Union scored first in the game in the second inning after loading the bases with two batters hit by pitches and a walk. Ryne Roper then grounded out to third base driving home Dylan Moore to go ahead 1-0. The Bulldogs got their first hit of the ballgame in the following inning with a single from Nolen Milton.
• CBU tied the game with their only run of the contest in the top of the fourth inning on a fielder's choice that scored an unearned run.
• Union retook the lead in the bottom half of the fourth scoring on a fielder's choice of their own from Roper that scored Zach Phillips.
• With only one hit going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Union's offensive finally heated up scoring seven runs on five hits. With the first two batters reaching base, Hayden Lewis knocked a ball out of the park to dead center field to plate three runs; it was his fifth homer of the season. Union kept up the scoring with Tyler Mauzy driving in a run on an RBI double with Austin Orr scoring from third followed by another home run, this time courtesy of Milton that scored Mauzy. The Bulldogs their final run on what would have been a inning ending ground ball, but was thrown away, making the score 9-1.
• The Bucs loaded the bases in the top of the ninth with no outs, but freshman pitcher worked out of the jam with two foul pop outs to third and a fielders choice up the middle to prevent CBU from closing the gap.

 
STAT OF THE GAME
Union has already matched their home run total from the 2016 campaign, slugging 21 long balls in just 15 games so far this season.

 
POSTGAME STATS

• Marty Coursey started on the mound for the series clinching finale going 6.0 innings plus a batter in the seventh giving up just one run on two hits to earn his third win of the year and improve to 3-1 on the season. Austin Kitterman finished off the remaining 3.0 innings giving up no runs on two hits to earn his second save this year.
• Nolen Milton was the only Union batter with multiple hits in the game with the single in the third and his GSC leading sixth homer of the season in the eighth. The sophomore infielder also leads the conference in doubles, runs scored and RBI.
• Hayden Lewis' home run that started the eighth inning rally was his fourth of the season, good for second on the Union squad.

 
UP NEXT
Union will be back on the road for the next four games with a non conference match up against LeMoyne Owen on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. before traveling to Delta State this weekend for their first GSC road series on Saturday and Sunday.