Williamsburg, KY – Cumberlands baseball returned to Doyle Buhl Stadium on Saturday as they looked to finish out a three-game set against the Cougars of the University of St. Francis (IN). After earning the 18-1 win on Friday in the opening game of the series, UC earned another convincing win 14-1 before walking off with the series sweeping win by a score of 4-3. The pair of wins extends the Patriots' win streak to six while improving their season record to 6-1.
 
Game one starter Zach Hurley would continue to look like he was in mid-season form. After giving up an early unearned run in the first inning, he would buckle down and find cruise control quickly as his offense would give him plenty of run support for the win, scoring in five consecutive innings.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Pedro Nazario led off the inning with a solo home run, his second of the season, to tie the game up. Five runs would score in the second, including a trifecta of RBI singles from Kevin Rolon, Nazario, and Orley Arellano to make it 6-1 Patriots. In the third, the Patriots doubled up their score, hanging six runs on six hits to extend the lead to 12-1.
 
The bottom of the fourth saw UC's Raudy Martinez drive in another run with a double while Marquis Orozco hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, bringing in the final run of the game as UC would win by a baker's dozen.
 
Hurley would throw his first complete game of the season, tossing seven innings of work allowing just one unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out eight in the win.
 
Game two was much closer as the Cougars looked determined not to drop all three games of the series. Tyler Morris would get the start for the Patriots, but would run into some trouble early in the game. St. Francis would push a pair of runs across the plate on two RBI singles to take a 2-0 lead which held until the bottom of the third. There, the Patriots would get a run back off a sacrifice fly off the bat Santos, cutting the lead to 2-1 after three.
 
The Cougars would get their run back in the top of the fourth on a RBI single, pushing the margin back out to two at 3-1. In the bottom of the frame, a RBI single from Robbie Stroub along with some gutty baserunning by Britton Elmore, stealing third and forcing a throwing error on the pickoff move would allow him to come home to score, tying the game at 3-3.
 
After leaving men on base in both the fifth and sixth innings, the Cougars would be retired in order in the seventh, giving UC a shot to walk off victorious. A single to lead off the inning by Arellano would be followed with a fielder's choice by Martinez as he replaced Orley at first. Martinez would steal second before Santos would rip a double down the right field line as it just cleared the bag, bringing Martinez home and giving UC a walk-off win with a final score of 4-3.
 
Getting the win was Nicholas Purpera who came in and threw two innings of hitless work, walking one and sitting two down on strikes. Tyler Morris finished the day going 3.1 innings allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while fanning four. Hampton Clark would come in as relief for Morris, working the Patriots out of a jam. He threw 1.2 innings allowing no runs on a hit and a walk.
 
Cumberlands returns to the diamond on Tuesday, February 19^th at home as they face non-conference rival Union College. First pitch is set for 2 pm.
 
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