Williamsburg, KY – The University of the Cumberlands Baseball team opened up their 2019 campaign on Saturday as they hosted the Grenadiers of Indiana University-Southeast. Both teams won over 40 games during the 2018 season so both looked to get themselves off to great starts at Doyle Buhl Stadium. After a classic pitchers' duel in game one that saw IU-SE victorious 1-0, the Patriot bats would heat up in a 5-0 game two win, splitting the doubleheader with both teams ending the day 1-1 on the season.
 
Game one's ball would be handed to Zach Hurley, who would not disappoint with his outing. After sitting two down in the first on strikes, Hurley would strike out the side in the second, with his fifth strikeout of the game setting a new school record for most strikeouts in a career. Two more scoreless innings would follow, but the Grenadiers would open up scoring in the fifth. On a 0-1 pitch, Dalton Mitchell would make a good swing and send a ball deep and over the center field fence for a home run, making it 1-0 IU-SE.
 
Grenadiers' starting pitcher Jack Wohlert would keep the Patriot offense in check, going 5.1 innings allowing no runs on just two hits and a walk while striking out four. Andrew Yates would also throw a scoreless inning while Kyle Hawkins would finish off the game with two more outs to hold off the Patriots for the 1-0 win. Hurley would go six innings in the loss allowing just the one run on two hits and a walk while fanning nine in the game. Colton Easterwood would throw the final inning of work for UC, walking two while striking out two.
 
The Patriots had three hits in the opener with Bryan Leef going 1-3 with a triple before being tagged out after overrunning the bag at third. Marquis Orozco and Raudy Martinez both would get credit for stolen bases in the game as well.
 
Game two would see Josh Avila head to the hill and would also put on a clinic. This game, UC's bats would heat up a bit as they would give Avila plenty of insurance runs for the win. After a scoreless opening inning, a pair of walks to Bryan Benz and Raudy Martinez would put two on with no one down. With one down, back-to-back RBI singles from Jose Rojas and Marquiz Orozco would give UC a 2-0 lead.
 
After a scoreless third, UC would add another run in the fourth. After a leadoff single by Rolando Rodriguez, Rojas would ground into a fielder's choice, putting him on with one down. After a fly out to put two down, a triple from Pedro Nazario would drive in Rojas to make it 3-0 Patriots. Three doubles in the fifth by Martinez, J.C. Santos, and Leef would drive in two more to make it 5-0 UC.
 
Avila would take his scoreless outing to the seventh before Clay Woeste would drive a ball over the right-center field fence to break up the shutout. Avila would then settle in to finish out the game and give UC the 5-1 win over IU-SE.
 
Four of UC's seven hits in the game were the extra-base variety. Avila would finish the complete game going seven innings allowing the one run on six hits and a walk while striking out five.
 
UC returns to action on Saturday, February 16^th as they host the Cougars of the University of St. Francis for a four-game series. First pitch of a doubleheader will begin at 2 pm on Saturday with the second doubleheader to begin Sunday the 17^th at 2 pm.
 
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