Williamsburg, KY – The UC Baseball team returned to Mid-South Conference play on Friday as they hosted the Tigers of Campbellsville University. With a doubleheader on the docket for today, both teams looked to put themselves in good standing for the remainder of the conference season. UC would begin the day in the driver's seat with an 8-2 win in game one but would fall victim to the Tigers in game two by a 10-2 margin. The split sends Cumberlands' record to 29-4 on the year and 6-1 in MSC play.
 
Game One: Three is the Magic Number
UC put the first score on the board in the bottom of the third with two on and two down. With a 1-1 count, right fielder Raudy Martinez would mash the third pitch of his at-bat deep over the left field fence for a three-run home run, his ninth of the season, giving UC a 3-0 lead. The Tigers would cut into the lead in the fifth with a two-run home run from Adbiel Morales, making it 3-2 Cumberlands.
 
After six innings of solid work, starter Zach Hurley would be replaced by Moise Carrasco who went to work, looking to pick up a three-inning save. He would end up getting some offensive insurance in the seventh with three more runs. J.C. Santos would drive in two with a single to right followed by an RBI single from Orley Arellano to make it 6-2 Patriots after seven.
 
After another insurance run came in on a balk in the eighth, Santos would drive in his third RBI on another single in the inning, giving UC an 8-2 advantage. Carrasco continued on and would pick up the nine-out save as Cumberlands would win game one by six.
 
Hurley earned his sixth win of the year going six innings allowing two earned runs on six hits and five walks while striking out four. Carrasco hurled the final three innings for the save, allowing no runs on two hits while sitting two down on strikes.
 
Game Two: Slow Start plus Numerous Errors Totals Bad Outcome
Campbellsville opened the game early with a pair of runs in the first, but Cumberlands would answer in the bottom of the inning. After two would reach to begin the inning, a run would score on a groundout to cut the lead to 2-1 Campbellsville. UC would tie the game in the next inning on a solo home from Kevin Rolon, his fifth home run of the season, to make it 2-2.
 
The Tigers would then go on a scoring streak, tallying eight runs on eight hits and three Patriot errors over the next three innings to take a 10-2 lead. UC would fail to cut into the lead as Campbellsville would take game two of the series, making game three a pivotal game when it comes to conference standings.
 
The loss would be tagged to Josh Avila, now 5-2, as he went four innings allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out a trio of Tigers. Colton Easterwood also had a solid second showing of the week, allowing no runs on just one bit while striking out three in 2.1 innings of work.
 
Up Next
The third and final game of the series between the Tigers of Campbellsville University and the Patriots will be held on Saturday, March 30^th at Doyle Buhl Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 12 pm.
 
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