Athens, TN – UC Baseball got its season underway on Tuesday afternoon as they traveled south to take on NAIA #13 ranked Tennessee Wesleyan University. The Patriots and Bulldogs both had an explosion of offense in the opening inning of the game, but the Bulldogs would find more offense in the tank as they would outgun Cumberlands by a final score of 16-4, moving UC to 0-1 to begin the year.
 
UC would send seven men to the plate in the opening inning. Daniel Diaz would get the first hit of the 2018 season with a single to center with one down. A J.C. Santos walk would follow along with a hit-by-pitch to Bryan Benz to load the bases. Another newcomer Raudy Martinez would then single to left to score two, giving UC an early 2-0 lead. Andrew Ramos would then follow with a double that scored another while the Patriots' Martinez would be thrown out trying to score. A strikeout would end the inning, but the Pats would take a 3-0 lead.
 
Josh Avila would head to the mound as the starter for the Patriots. After retiring the first batter on the inning, a single would be followed by a two-run home run by Dakota Phillips for TWU, cutting the lead to 3-2. After a strikeout would put two away, the Bulldogs would rally as an E5 would give them extra life. They would take advantage with a single and three doubles to follow, scoring four more runs to take a 6-3 lead over the Patriots after one inning of play.
 
Scoring would resume in the third as Santos would hit the first home run of the season for the Patriots, a solo shot to center to cut the lead to 6-4 Bulldogs. The bottom of the third though was a tough one for UC fans. Six runs would come across the plate in the inning off five walks, a hit-by-pitch, and only one hit, but it would be a costly one as it was a grand slam for Alfred Cruz, making it 12-4 Tennessee Wesleyan.
 
The Bulldogs would add four more runs on hour hits in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead to 16-4. The Patriots were unable to tally any other hits in the contest as the game would end after seven innings of play.
 
The loss would go to Avila as he went two innings allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out one. The Bulldogs' Grand Lang would get the win. Martinez would go 2-3 in the game with two RBIs. Santos would go 1-3 with the home run, a RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. Diaz would also go 1-3 with a walk and a run scored.
 
UC will now prepare themselves for a long weekend of action as they will travel to Lake Point Athletic Complex in Emerson, Georgia as they will participate in the Perfect Game Spring Swing. Five games will be played over the three-day weekend with the opening game scheduled for Friday, February 9^th against Selma University. First pitch is set for 2:30 pm.
 
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