You have to go back nearly 20 years to find the last time the University Heights Academy baseball team came out on the losing end in a matchup with 8th District rivals Fort Campbell, but the Blazers needed a walk-off sacrifice fly to prevail 6-5 in the first game of a doubleheader on Monday before restoring order with an 18-1 victory in the nightcap.
The Falcons entered the contest with only one run scored over five defeats to start the season, but a three-run first inning highlighted by Thomas Roach’s two-run single had them thinking upset.
After getting a run back in the second, UHA surged in front in the third on RBI singles by Jackson Flynn and Jaiden Miles. However, the Falcons evened the game when John Arnold drove in a run with a single in the top of the fifth, and nosed back in front when Arnold did it again in the seventh.
The Blazers put the tying run on first when Flynn was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the seventh, followed by a pair of Falcon errors to allow Flynn to come home and tie the game at 5-5. With runners on second and third, Eli Finch tagged up on Miles’ fly ball to left to score the winning run.
Michael Anderson took the loss for Fort Campbell, going the distance while allowing six runs, four earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks. Arnold finished 3/4 at the plate with two RBI, Roach hit safely twice and drove in two runs, and Anderson collected two hits.
Aiden Jones earned the win for the Blazers in relief of Miles. Jones gave up one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts in an inning of work. Miles pitched the first six frames, surrendering four runs, three earned, on seven hits with no walks and 12 strikeouts.
Courtland Gibson led UHA with two hits, and Miles drove in three runs.
The second game didn’t feature near the drama of the first, with the Blazers putting up eight runs over the first two innings and pouring it on in the fourth and fifth frames to finish off the Falcons.
Jones held Fort Campbell to only two hits over four innings to earn the win. The freshman hurler allowed one earned run with a walk and three strikeouts.
Courtland Gibson and Miles had RBI in a three-run first, and Flynn’s RBI single highlighted a five-run second for the Blazers. Cadence Gibson singled to drive in two in the fourth for an 11-1 Blazer advantage.
UHA benefitted from six walks in the top of the fifth to push seven more runs across for the final margin.
Noah Herron drove in the Falcons’ only run, but also took the loss after getting dented for seven earned runs on five hits in one inning on the mound.
Courtland Gibson finished 2/4 with four RBI, with Cadence Gibson and Miles each driving in three runs. Flynn had two RBI, and Ryan Luckey, Bryson Turner, and Hugh Sisk each had one. Harlow Hampton earned the save for the Blazers, walking one and striking out another in the bottom of the fifth.
UHA will look to maintain its perfect district record when Heritage Christian Academy visits for a doubleheader on Tuesday.
Fort Campbell has a week off before traveling to McLean County for two games next Tuesday.
