Williamsburg, KY – The Baseball Patriot would secure another Mid-South Conference series win on Saturday in dramatic fashion, earning a 6-5 win in 12 innings with a walk-off two-run home run. UC would continue their battle into the third and final game of the series, but would run out of gas falling to the Phoenix of Cumberland University 8-5. The split improved the Patriots to 42-6 overall and 12-1 in MSC play.
 
Game one's start would go to Zach Hurley, who had a career day on the hill, but would not earn a decision with his efforts. In the first, he would sit down the first two batters on strikes before giving up a solo home run to Rayden Sierra on a 2-2 pitch. It was Sierra's 17^th home run of the year, giving the Phoenix a 1-0 lead. UC would answer in the bottom of the inning. After a leadoff single by Roberto Prado, Orley Arellano would send a ball into Orley's Orbit, deep over the left field fence for his sixth home run on the year, to make it 2-1 Patriots.
 
After two more scoreless innings, Cumberlands would add to their lead. With one on and one down, J.C. Santos would double deep to left, scoring one to make it 3-1 while moving to third on the throw. On the very next pitch, senior Reed Spata would lay down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt, scoring Santos to make it 4-1 Patriots.
 
CU would respond in the sixth with two away. Sierra would smash another home run, this one to deep center for his 18^th of the year, to cut the lead in half to 4-2. After a single by Mykel Gordon, designated hitter Caleb Kellogg would pull a ball deep to right field for his third home run of the season, this one tying the game at 4-4.
 
The game would then go to extra innings tied at four as a run would not score until the top of the 12^th. There, the Phoenix would load the bases with two down. A wild pitch would occur, allowing a run to score to give CU a 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Spata would lead off the inning with a walk. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Prado moved Spata to second, Arellano would come through in the clutch, crushing a 2-2 pitch deep to left and on to the tennis courts for his second home run of the day, his seventh of the year, to give the Patriots the 6-5 win in walk-off fashion to secure the series win over Cumberland University.
 
The win would go to Nicholas Purpera who came in and worked 2.2 innings of great relief. He allowed just one earned run on no hits and three walks while sitting two on strikes. Starter Hurley went 8.2 innings allowing four earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out a career high 14 on the day. Hampton Clark also threw 0.2 innings of scoreless relief on the day.
 
In game two, the Patriots turned to senior Manny Castellano. The senior did not have his best stuff on this day, but would not be tagged with a decision after being pulled after just 2.1 innings of work. He allowed five earned on the day on eight hits and a walk while sitting two down on strikes.
 
The Phoenix would strike first again in this game. Sierra would double deep to right field with two down before being brought home on a RBI single from Gordon, giving CU a 1-0 lead. Again though, the Patriots would respond in the bottom of the inning. With two on and two down, Daniel Diaz would smack a RBI single to right-center, tying the game at 1-1. During the next at-bat, a wild pitch would send the ball well away from the catcher near the dugout of the Phoenix, allowing Alex Dominguez to not only take third but to come home on the play, giving UC a 2-1 lead.
 
The Phoenix would eventually put together a big inning of offense in the series in the top of the third. Four runs would score on five hits in the inning, giving CU a 5-2 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Patriots would begin to mount their comeback yet again. After a leadoff single from Arellano, Raudy Martinez would crank a deep home run to left field on the first pitch of his at-bat, his 12^th home run on the year, to cut the lead to 5-4 Phoenix. Later in the inning, Santos would pull a double down the right field line, scoring a third run in the inning to tie the game up at 5-5 after three.
 
Scoring would stall until the sixth when Sierra would hit a RBI single through the left side, pushing the Phoenix back out front 6-5. Gordon would follow with a RBI single of his own later in the frame, making it 7-5 CU. They would add an insurance run in the seventh before closing out the game and defeating the Patriots 8-5.
 
The loss would go to Colton Easterwood in relief. He would go 3.0 innings allowing two earned runs on three hits and three walks while sitting three down on strikes.
 
The Patriots return to the diamond on Tuesday, April 24^th in non-conference action as they travel north to take on Midway University for a single game. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm.
 
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