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URBANA, Ohio – Urbana junior Robbie Guerrero and freshman
Briley Harlan both homered to lead the Blue Knights past Cedarville 8-7 Wednesday at Blue Knight Field.
UU improved to 2-12 overall and returns to conference action this weekend. The visiting Cedarville club dropped to 6-10 on the season.
After dropping three straight games decided by two runs or less, the Blue Knights did damage early with seven runs in the first two innings and held on the rest of the way.
Redshirt-freshman shortstop
Griffin Stevens went 2 for 2 with an RBI double and reached base five times while Harlan went 2 for 4 including the first career home run.
Also leading the way was freshman third baseman
Tyler Dellerman (1-4, 2B, 3 RBI) and Guerrero (1-5, HR, 3 RBI). Junior center fielder
Chase Carney and senior first baseman
Austin Pratt also recorded a base knock, as the Blue Knights outhit the Yellow Jackets, 8-7.
Dellerman plated three runs in the first on a bases-clearing double for a 3-0 lead.
After Cedarville responded with two runs, Urbana came back with four more in the bottom of the second. Stevens recorded a two-out RBI double and Carney singled then moved to second to put two runners in scoring position. That set up Guerrero's clutch three-run blast, the first home run of his career, over the left-field fence to put UU ahead 7-2.
The Yellow Jackets made it interesting with two runs in the fourth before Harlan's solo blast made it 8-4. Cedarville then tacked on two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
However, the Blue Knights stepped up on defense and got solid relief efforts out of
Brett Bell and Guerrero to slam the door.
Bell came on to finish the fourth and tossed 3.1 innings to earn his first victory. The freshman southpaw surrendered three unearned runs on three hits. Then, Guerrero took over in the eighth and did not allow a hit over the final two frames for his eighth career save.
Sophomore
Ryan Townsend made his first career start on the mound, logging a career-high 3.2 innings of work. He nearly escaped the fourth inning, but a soft grounder up the middle scored two runs with two outs to prompt the pitching change. Townsend allowed three earned runs on four hits, four walks and three strikeouts.
Cedarville third baseman Jadon Ambrose led the visitors with two RBI on a pair of singles. Centerfielder Austin Brown also knocked in two runs. CU starting pitcher Max Miller was charged with the loss after he was only able to record one out, allowing three runs against five batters faced.
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UU heads south for an MEC doubleheader at Concord on Saturday and another twinbill Sunday at UVa-Wise.
