Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Lawrenceville, GA – Patriots Baseball opens the season with a pair of wins at the Grizzly Invitational against two nationally ranked teams. In 14 innings played, Cumberlands posted 28 runs.
 
Candido Encarnacion led the team with a .700 average across both games, recording seven hits in 10 at bats. Meanwhile Brian Garcia and Over Torres both averaged over .600; Garcia slugging high at a team-leading 1.375 with two doubles and two triples on five hits. He also led the team with five runs batted in on day one.
 
Cumberlands def. #4/4 St. Thomas, 17-10
Against a top-five team in the NAIA, the Patriots stunned their competition with 17 runs lighting up the scoreboard. Keeping the fire going was Encarnacion, who went five of six at the plate and three RBI.
 
Walter Hernandez noted the win in the game as the starting pitcher, recording 3.1 innings of work. The veteran arm dished five strikeouts in his first outing of the season, earning three runs against 17 batters faced.
 
The Bobcats were first to score in the Patriots season opener, tallying two in the second. In the bottom of the inning, Cumberlands responded with two of their own to reset the slate. Encarnacion crossed the plate first off Ray Villanueva's single to right-center. Pinch-runner Carter Grooms came around when Kevin Rolon doubled down the left line.
 
An inning later, the Patriots noted a six-run surge thanks to three straight hits: Rojas' single, Encarnacion's triple, Rolando Rodriguez's home run. Rodriguez noted the Patriots first home run of the season, rocketed over the left field fence on a 1-1 count. Two more score in the inning to move the Patriots lead to 7-2.
 
In every inning the Bobcats scored, the Patriots responded with more of their own. Garcia brought in the most runs around the bases, leading the team with four in the game credit to a pair of triples.
 
The Patriots eventually saw the margin close to 10-7. Five more runs were posted in the Patriots favor thanks to the seventh-inning stretch. Over Torres came around first on an error, Bryan Leef moving around on an error as well. Rojas stepped up to the plate to slug a double while Encarnacion's single through the left side scored one. Rodriguez sacrificed his at bat to home Rojas from third and Ray Villanueva tripled down the right foul line to plate another.
 
 
Sophomore Garrett DeClue fended off the Bobcats to close out the game on the mound, his first outing from the Patriots bullpen. In the final three innings, he tossed 54 pitches with one strikeout and three hits allowed. DeClue gave up three runs in the eighth frame to which the offense scored two, leading to the 17-10 final.
 
The Patriots lineup registered 15 hits from the two through five spots. While Encarnacion was a stud all-around, Torres went 4-6 in his Patriots debut scoring one and plating one. Rojas noted similar figures, with an additional two runs scored. Batting seventh, Villanueva also went 4-6 with three runs and two RBI.
 
Cumberlands def. #21/15 Bryan, 11-2
After a spectacular win, the Patriots continued to swing heavy bats off their shoulder to win by a large margin against another top-25 NAIA team. The rain ended the game after five innings, but Cumberlands still made a big impact to drive home 11 runs in the short game.
 
On the rubber, Thomas Gutierrez completed his start, allowing five hits total on just shy of 100 pitches. The lefty matched his career-high with seven strikeouts.
 
Four Patriots noted multiple hits, led by Leef having a 2-3 showing with two runs scored and four RBI.
 
Cumberlands got to work early, posting six runs in the second inning. Back-to-back doubles led off the frame by Garcia and Villanueva. Finding the gap, Torres commanded the plate with a two-RBI single to left-center. Leef noted the third double of the inning to plate two more before being brought around by Encarnacion.
 
Taking advantage of miscues, Cumberlands increased their margin in the following inning by three runs. Rolon reached on a walk, Rhett Gipe was hit by pitch, and a single by Torres loaded the bases. Knowing the threat, Leef was walked to allow one score. Rojas plated one from his shot to right field, scoring another on the bobble.
 
Homerun hero Leef tabbed his first booming hit of the season in the final inning. He saw a 3-0 count across the plate before the slugged his perfect pitch over the center field fence.
 
Patriots close out their appearance at the Grizzly Invitational tomorrow, Sunday February 7. They have a single, nine-inning game slated against the host #3/8 Georgia Gwinnett at 1 PM.
 
Rankings are provided as NAIA and Perfect Game.
 
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