Laurinburg, NC – UC Baseball would see its weekend slate of games changed due to weather conditions, but would pick up a solid set of contests as they traveled to North Carolina to take on both NCAA Division II Pfeiffer University and NAIA St. Andrews University. UC would get into an offensive onslaught in game one, taking the win from Pfeiffer 16-12, before a defensive gem for the Patriots in game two earning a 2-0 win over St. Andrews. The pair of victories moves Cumberlands to 4-1 on the season.
 
In game one against the Falcons, UC would get on the board early. After blanking Pfeiffer in the first, UC would put four in the runs column. That included the start of a great game for outfielder Raudy Martinez, who pounded a three-run home run to put UC ahead 3-0. Bryan Benz would also join the home run party in the very next at-bat with a solo shot of his own to push the lead to 4-0 after the first. Martinez drive in another run on a RBI single in the second, bring Roberto Prado across the plate for the second time in the game, making it 5-0 Patriots after two.
 
The Falcons scored five runs in the top of the third to tie the game, but UC would take the lead back quickly. The scoring began with a RBI double by Andrew Ramos, driving in Orley Arellano to make it 6-5 UC. Ramos would cross the plate later in the inning on a RBI groundout by Alex Dominguez to make it 7-5 Patriots. Martinez would continue to have a day with a two-run double in the third, bring in Prado and Reed Spata to increase the lead to 9-5. Benz would then bring Martinez home on a RBI single followed by a RBI double from Arellano, to make it 11-5 Cumberlands.
 
Pfeiffer would come back again, scoring six runs over the next two innings to tie the game at 11-11. Martinez would answer in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, his second of the game, to push UC back out front 12-11. In the sixth, Prado would drive in a run on a bunt coupled with an error, allowing Spata to score to make it 13-11 UC. Martinez would then strike again, this time another three-run blast for his third of the game and fourth of the season, extending the lead to 16-11 Patriots. A solo home run for the Falcons would cut into the lead slightly, but would not be enough as UC would earn the 16-12 win.
 
Garrett Vathroder would earn the win for the Patriots in relief, throwing 1.1 innings allowing no runs on three hits and two walks.
 
In game two against the Knights of St. Andrews, it was a great pitching performance for the Patriots that would lead them to victory. UC would hand the ball off to Zach Hurley who gave Cumberlands another solid start to earn his first win of the year. He would go a complete game five innings allowing no runs on just two hits and a walk while striking out six in the shortened game win.
 
Nine different Patriots would record hits in the contest, but none bigger than a RBI single from Orley Arellano as well as a RBI double from Guillermo Villegas in the top of the fifth that would give Cumberlands their only runs of the game, but also the only runs needed for the 2-0 shutout win over the Knights.
 
UC will return to the diamond on Saturday, February 17^th in Laurinburg, North Carolina as they take on St. Andrews at 10 am before wrapping up their day with a game against Pfeiffer University at 12:30 pm.
 
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