Williamsburg, KY – UC Baseball would take advantage of six errors committed by the Phoenix of Cumberland University on Friday as the Patriots would come away winning game one of the three-game Mid-South Conference series by a final score of 8-7. Cumberlands battled back from three separate deficits in the contest on their way to keeping their MSC record unblemished. With the victory, the Patriots improved to 41-5 overall on the year and 11-0 in MSC play.
 
UC got things going early in the first as Roberto Prado would find his way on via an error on the Phoenix' second baseman Carlos Moseley. After an error on starting pitcher Thomas Galart on a wild throw during a pickoff move followed by a wild pitch, Prado found himself on third with just one down. Raudy Martinez would bring him home on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Alex Dominguez would follow with his fifth home run of the season, this one a solo shot to right-center, giving UC a 2-0 lead.
 
After a quiet inning, CU would respond in the top of the third. With two on and one down, a ground ball up the middle looked to be an inning-ending double play, but an error by Josh Avila would allow a run to score as his throw would sail into center field, leaving two on with one down. After a walk and a strike out, the bases were loaded for CU with two down. Caleb Kellogg would smack a two-run single to right to give the Phoenix a 3-2 lead. After another scoreless inning, the bat of Brian Benz would change the game as he would send one over the right-center fence, his 15^th home run of the year, to tie the game at three after four innings of play.
 
The Patriots would load the bases again in the fifth with one down. A hard ground ball would be hit to third, but a tough throw to first coupled with great hustle and heads-up base running would see Alex Dominguez end up safe at first as two runs would come in to score, giving UC a 5-3 lead after five.
 
After a scoreless sixth, the Phoenix would answer again, this time using the long ball. With two on and one down, the Patriots would turn to the bullpen as Hampton Clark would come into the game to face Rayden Sierra. Unfortunately for UC, the 0-1 pitch was hit deep to left for a three-run home run, Sierra's 16^th home run of the year, to give Cumberland University a 6-5 lead.
 
Orley Arellano would then take the game into his hands, hitting a two-out solo home run to left, his fifth of the year, to tie the game at 6-6 after seven complete. The Phoenix would retake the lead on a sacrifice fly in the eighth at 7-6. Nicholas Purpera would then come in and record two strikeouts to finish the inning.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, a trio of errors on the Phoenix would allow two runners to come in to score, giving the Patriots the lead back at 8-7 entering the ninth. There, Purpera would work a 1-2-3 inning including two more strikeouts in the heart of the Phoenix order to earn the game one win.
 
Purpera would get the win in the book after 1.2 scoreless innings of work, allowing no hits or walks while striking out four. Josh Avila would get the no decision after 6.1 innings allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks while fanning ten on strikes.
 
The Patriots will wrap up their regular season home schedule on Saturday with a doubleheader against the Phoenix. Game one's first pitch is slated for 1 pm with UC Senior Day to be held in-between contests.
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots, Instagram - @UCPatriots, SnapChat - @UC_Patriots, YouTube – Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.