For seven innings Saturday, Campbellsville University pitcher Curtis Payne held Shorter College in check, but that all began to change in the eighth. The Hawks rocked the Tiger's bullpen for six hits and five runs in the final two innings to knock off No. 8 Campbellsville, 5-4.

The damage was done in the bottom of the ninth, as Shorter loaded the bases twice and scored four runs on a single from Austin Roberts and double by Matt Johnson.

Both teams were held scoreless through the first three innings until Alex Ponich singled up the middle to start the fourth and wake up the CU offense. Ponich stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch to set the table for a Richie Rowland RBI single up the middle for the Tigers' first run.

The Tigers grew their lead to 3-0 with a run in the seventh when Jameel Ziadeh scored on a ground ball by Michael Caleb and another in the eighth when Zac Townsend scored on a wild pitch.

To that point, Payne was throwing only 10 pitches per inning and had allowed. The junior from Owensboro, Ky., allowed six hits, no walks and struck out four in the first seven innings.

In the eighth, Payne loaded the bases before exiting the game with one out. Spencer Frantz picked up the second out of the inning but gave up a run on a groundball. Frantz worked his way out of the jam with a strikeout to secure the Tigers' 3-1 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Ponich punched a single past second base to score Colin Bryan for an insurance run, but CU pitcher Rusty Devitt was unable to cool the Hawks' bats in the bottom of the inning.

Ponich and Bryan led Cu with two hits each. Blake Chapman picked up the win in relief for Shorter.

CU (2-1) is scheduled to travel to Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday at 3 p.m.