Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Pulaski, TN – Patriots baseball continued full steam ahead to tally another pair of wins in conference action, taking down Martin Methodist in a pair of games. Cumberlands won game one 11-9 on a final inning rally and claimed the later game 4-1.
 
With the pair of victories tallied on the road, Cumberlands baseball has tallied their 1,600th program win. Four head coaches have propelled the program to the milestone, including over 500 wins from coach Terry Stigall from 1976 to 2001. Coach Brad Shelton is now eight wins away from his 700th while at the helm for the Patriots.
 
The pitching rotation starting on the hill proved effective in both games to open the weekend series, combining for 19 strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched. Moise Carrasco picked up his first win of the season in relief while Nathan Geissler notched his fifth win with a complete game against the Redhawks.
 
Meanwhile at the plate, a trio of homers between the games helped the Patriots to 15 runs on the board. In addition, Cumberlands recorded a pair of doubles for extra base hits. Brian Garcia led the team going 3-8 on the day with a homer and double between the games.
 
Game One: Cumberlands wins, 11-9
It was a ninth-inning rally that helped the Patriots to victory and start the weekend ahead. The bats were quiet for the second half of the contest with the 2-0 advantage before a rally in the final inning put the Patriots ahead with nine runs scored.
 
Down 9-2 on the scoreboard, Garcia stepped in for a two-run homer to begin the comeback attempt and narrow the deficit. The Patriots benefitted from pitching miscues as well; a pair of hit-by-pitches and Kevin Rolon's single loaded the bases and forced another pitching change.
 
Three consecutive singles moved the runners up 90 feet with each at bat. Over Torres, Bryan Leef and Jose Rojas each responsible for batting in the runners on base, moving the game to a 9-7 still in favor of the home team.
 
Ray Villanueva popped up his pitch but Cumberlands scored one off a subsequent error. Candido Encarnacion led the team going 3-5 on the day, rounding out his plate appearances with a two-RBI single to bring the game within one run. In his second at bat of the inning, B. Garcia brought home his teammate on a single to right field.
 
The comeback was brought on by nine runs by the opposing bats in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Redhawks worked through the Patriots bullpen to go ahead 9-2 at the turn of the inning.
 
In the final half inning, Chase Whitaker entered the game as a closer and picked up his first save of the season. He struck out a pair on the bottom side as a one-two-three inning closed the door on the Redhawks.
 
Four pitches into the game, Pedro Nazario blasted a lead-off homer to start hot in the first inning. The Patriots extended their lead again in the fourth as Villanueva's two-out double paired with a single by Encarnacion resulted in the second run plated in favor of the Patriots.
 
Colton Easterwood noted an impressive start while not getting the decision. In 7.0 innings of work, he matched his last outing with another 11 strikeouts tallied, now with 53 on the season. He has noted at least nine in each of his last five starts, three times reaching double digits.
 
Game Two: Cumberlands wins, 4-1
Geissler got the call to start game two, delivering heat from the mound with eight strikeouts delivered. It was his fourth time this season dishing seven or more K's, getting another win tallied with the complete game.
 
The California arm earned his only run of the day in the first inning on a double and sacrifice fly. Through the rest of the day, he would allow only two more base runners to get on via a hit and walk.
 
The Bat Pats were quick to match the early Martin Methodist run. In the second inning, Rojas reached base on an error and rounded to third base on a wild throw. Leef sacrificed his at bat to even the score line on the fly ball to right field.
 
 With the score even at one apiece, Cumberlands pulled ahead in the fifth inning. A lead-off double by B. Garcia put a runner in scoring position before a passed ball moved him up another 90 feet. Yariel Diaz made his presence known with an RBI single finding outfield grass to bring his teammate around. Over Torres tagged his fourth homer of the season to extend the score to 4-1 with Diaz and himself trotting around the bases.
 
Martin Methodist threatened with two runners on in the bottom side of the fifth after the double and walk. Efficient fielding recorded two of the outs while Geissler dropped the fifth man of the evening on strikes. The right-hander tallied a trio of three-batter innings in the outing en route to his second complete game of the season.
 
Up Next
Cumberlands looks for the first conference sweep of the season with the series finale against Redhawks set for Sunday, March 21. The first pitch of the final nine-inning affair is scheduled for 2 PM eastern.
 
Following the contest, Cumberlands returns home for a midweek game against Alice Lloyd on Tuesday.
 
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