Williamsburg, KY – With a pair of convincing victories on Sunday over the Cougars of Cincinnati-Clermont, UC not only completed the three-game sweep but extended their winning streak to 11 games, its longest since 2008. UC defeated CC by a 12-1 margin in game one before winning game two 16-5. Cumberlands now improves to 15-3 overall on the season.
Game one's pitching duties would be handed to
Manny Castellano and he would earn quality complete game victory in this one. The only run he would allow would come on back-to-back hits in the fifth, a leadoff double followed by a single. He finished the day with 7.0 innings allowing just one run on seven hits and no walks sitting six down on strikes.
The offense though of the Patriots would be stellar. In the first, UC would use the long ball to score most of their runs. After a leadoff hit-by-pitch on
Roberto Prado,
Orley Arellano would hit a two-run blast over the left field wall, his third home run of the year, to give UC a 2-0 lead. With one down,
Alex Dominguez would join the long ball party with a solo shot of his own, his third on the year, pushing the lead to 3-0.
Robbie Stroub would nearly hit one out later in the inning, but would be snagged at the wall as it would go down as a sac fly, bringing home
Daniel Diaz to make it 4-0 after one.
In the fourth with the bases loaded, a hit-by-pitch on Diaz would score
Reed Spata to make it 5-0.
J.C. Santos would then step to the plate and smack a ball through the hole on the right side, bring home two more runs to push the Patriots out front 7-0. After CC would score their lone run in the top of the fifth, the Patriots would answer with a five spot in the bottom of the inning, including a two-run home run by
Reed Spata, his first of the year. Diaz would also add a RBI on a double down the left field line before Santos would pitched in two more RBI on a single to right, closing out the scoring in a 12-1 win.
Game two, the Cougars jumped out early on UC starting pitcher
Cody Spencer. A two-run double along with a RBI single would put CC out front 3-0 midway through the first. The Pats would respond though in the bottom of the inning. A bases loaded groundout coupled with a RBI double would make it a 3-2 game, but with two on and two down,
Andrew Ramos would jump on a 1-0 pitch and take it deep to left for his first home run of the season, giving UC a 5-3 lead. Cumberlands would add another run in the third as
Bryan Benz would send a solo shot over the left field fence, his third of the year, to make it a 6-3 game after three complete.
Cumberlands would add to the lead in the fourth with a pair of RBI doubles from Santos and Benz along with a run scoring on an errant pick-off attempt, giving UC a 9-3 lead. Clermont would add a run in the fifth on a solo home run to make it 9-4, but the Patriots would answer scoring seven runs on eight hits in the innings, making it a 16-4 game. CC would add one last run in the seventh, but that was it as Cumberlands wins the game 16-5.
Spencer would earn the win, improving to 2-0 on the year. He finished the day with 5.0 innings pitched allowing four earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four.
UC now has a few days to recoup after playing six games in three days. The Patriots return to the diamond on Sunday, March 11
th with a doubleheader against Viterbo University. Game one's first pitch is scheduled for 3 pm.
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