Union defeats Bluefield in game one of conference series

Barbourville, Ky. – On Friday, the Union Commonwealth University baseball team played game one of its three-game conference series. The Bulldogs won 7-5 in the nine-inning game.

In the opening inning, Bluefield surged ahead with an early 2-0 advantage. However, the Bulldogs responded in the bottom half of the inning ignited by Diego Clariot's leadoff triple. Clariot then scored off an RBI groundout from Colton Stegman to bring the score to 2-1.

The Bulldogs then rallied in the bottom of the third inning. Sammy Serrano set the tone with a walk, which was followed by Clariot getting hit by a pitch. Stegman followed with a to load the bases. 

The momentum surged further as a pitch hit Logan Romasanta to bring home Serrano, while Mason Kelley's RBI single to left field plated Clariot. In the next at bat, Aaron Barrera delivered a three-RBI single, while advancing to second.

Jonathan Miles entered the game as a pinch runner for Barrera; he advanced to third on a fly ball before crossing home plate on a passed ball. Union led 7-2.

Despite a lone run from the Rams in the fourth inning, the scoreboard remained unchanged until the ninth inning when Bluefield tallied two runs. Despite the Rams' effort, the Bulldogs held firm to secure a 7-5 victory.

Ethan Warren and Christian McCollough both appeared on the mound for the Bulldogs. Warren collected two strikeouts and one walk, while McCollough had one strikeout and zero walks.

Offensively, Stegman led the way going two-for-three with one RBI and one run scored. Barerra collected three RBIs on the day, while Clariot recorded a triple.

The Bulldogs are now 15-15 (8-8 AAC) this season, while Bluefield is 12-14 (6-8 AAC). Up next for Union is the remainder of this conference series against Bluefield. The first game is slated for Saturday, March 30, at 12:00 p.m. The second matchup is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.