Blue Knights Come up Short in Series Finale

Follow @UrbanaU_Sports on Twitter, Urbana_Sports on Instagram and check out UUBlueKnights.com for all the latest coverage of UU Athletics.

WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. - For the second time in as many games, Urbana University (7-26, 3-17 MEC) fell 7-6 in extra innings against West Liberty University (8-25, 7-13 MEC) to open up Monday's doubleheader. The host Hilltoppers defeated the Blue Knights 12-8 in the nightcap at Kovalick Field to earn the series sweep.

UU played extra innings in back-to-back games for the first time since it happened four years ago to the date. The Blue Knights defeated Fairmont State 7-6 in the second game of a home doubleheader on April 12, 2015, and then swept a home doubleheader from Wheeling Jesuit three days later, as all three wins came in extras.

//  GAME 1
Urbana led 6-1 after five-and-a-half innings, but the Blue Knights collapsed and eventually surrendered a walk-off single. West Liberty chipped away with four runs in the sixth and tied the game on first baseman Tyler Ramsay's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.

For the second straight game, the two teams entered extra innings with the score tied 6-6. And for the second straight game, the Hilltoppers came out winners as Jarrett Delbrugge punched a two-out, bases-loaded single to right field in the bottom of the 11th.

Urbana only had one hit from the seventh inning on as the hosts outhit the Blue Knights 16-14. All 14 of Urbana's base knocks were singles.

Junior Robbie Guerrero III recorded his first career four-hit game, while junior Chase Carney delivered his fifth three-hit performance of the season. In addition, sophomore Justin Drennen (2 for 5) produced his first career multi-RBI outing and senior Austin Pratt (2 for 6) knocked in a run.

Freshman Logan Fisher started on the mound for the Blue Knights, allowing three runs on seven hits in five-and-a-third. Guerrero came on to pitch 4.2 innings of relief and was charged with the blown save, but the side-winder stranded the winning run in the eighth, and allowed one runner over the ninth and 10th frames. Junior Brandon McRae took the loss after a leadoff double came back to haunt.

Ramsay led the Hilltoppers, going 3 for 5 with a home run and double. Third baseman Bailey McGrath went 4 for 4 with a double and two RBI. Cody Shook earned the win in one inning of relief on the hill.

The last time Urbana traveled to West Liberty, the two teams played a 13-inning contest (April 4, 2017) with the Hilltoppers coming out on top, 5-4. Since joining the Mountain East Conference in 2013-14, UU is 4-3 in games that last 10 or more innings including a 2-0 victory (11 innings) at Shepherd last season.

//  GAME 2
In the second game, Carney put Urbana on the board with an RBI single in his first at-bat. However, West Liberty took a 2-1 lead in the second inning and used an eight-run third to put the game out of reach.

Freshman Tyler Dellerman (2 for 2, 2 BB) homered in the fourth inning, a solo shot to left field, raising his season total to four long balls. He's tied for the second-most home runs in a season hit by a Blue Knight during the MEC era (2014).

Senior Mickey Losey went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI, including his third double, while freshman Deion Tubbs went 2 for 4 with a triple and three runs.

UU tacked on five runs on six hits in its final at-bat, including two-out RBI singles from Guerrero, Pratt and Daniel Quiroz. The Hilltoppers outhit the Blue Knights, 13-11, as the two teams combined for 54 hits on the day.

On the mound, freshman right-hander Hunter Cohee was saddled with the loss in 2.1 innings of work in his fifth start. WLU's Mitch Viakley picked up his first win of the season.

//  UP NEXT
UU will look to erase its eight-game slide Wednesday at home against the University of Findlay. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Blue Knight Field.