Box Score Crestview Hills, KY – Andres Rolon cleared the bases with his first career grand slam as the Patriots scored in five of the seven innings. Cumberlands opened the three-game series against Thomas More on Friday afternoon with a run-rule win, 23-0.
 
Including the doubleheader against Milligan earlier this week, the Bat Pats have outscored their opponents 46-2 this week.
 
A. Rolon was called on as the next man up in the first inning to pinch hit for Ray Villanueva. He stayed in the game for a career-best day, hitting three of five. The junior batted in five runs for the Patriots highlighted by a second inning grand slam.
 
Colton Easterwood went the distance from the hill for his second complete-game shutout of the year. Over the stretch, Easterwood allowed five hits to the Saints while dropping eight on strikes. It marked the eighth time this season he tallied that many or more strikeouts in a game, leading the team with 87.
 
Catching for the senior behind the plate was Rhett Gipe. At the plate, the catcher had his best game since February 25, when he last posted a three-hit day. Today, Gipe hit into play a trio of singles on four at bats. Meanwhile, it was a 2-4 day for Kevin Rolon. Each of the senior's hits went for extra bases, tallying a double and a home run.
 
Villanueva led off the Patriots lineup in the first; in his only at bat of the afternoon he slugged a double to be the first aboard. Over Torres began three consecutive singles for the Patriots, scoring Villanueva and loading the bases. Candido Encarnacion scored the second run on a sacrifice fly.
 
Runners on the corners, Brian Garcia cleared the bases with a three-run blast on the first pitch seen in. K. Rolon recorded an RBI double later on in the first as three more runs crossed the plate after the mid-inning homer. Cumberlands took the early 8-0 lead.
 
By the end of the second, Cumberlands added five more runs onto the score line. Jose Rojas notched his second hit of the day with a leadoff double. With two outs to follow, a single through the left side by Pedro Nazario scored the first run. A single by Gipe and a free ride to first for K. Rolon loaded the bases and set up the grand slam for A. Rolon. It was the second long ball of the day to go over the right field fence, also went down as A. Rolon's second homer as a Patriot.
 
Three hits for the Saints came in the first and second innings, including a triple against Easterwood and the Patriots defense. Cumberlands was able to strand all three base runners, getting out of a jam in the second with a double play. Easterwood went on to see a trio of consecutive one-two-three innings including striking out the side in the fourth.
 
The Patriots would score only one run in the fourth for the 14-0 edge. Nazario scored his third run of the contest after reaching base on an error and rounding the bases on groundouts. The senior led off the sixth inning with a 2-2 count homer deep to left to round out the four runs he scored against the Saints.
 
Gipe followed the blast with another single. For the second time in the inning, the Bat Pats slugged another homerun on the Saints. This time it was a two-run shot to left again in the form of K. Rolon on the first pitch seen in. A. Rolon singled and eventually came around to score on Rojas' RBI fielder's choice. The final run of the inning crossed the plate as a wild pitch gave a run to Frank Garcia.
 
The Patriots hitting did not slow in the seventh; back-to-back walks to begin the inning put the visiting team into scoring position. F. Garcia singled up the middle to begin another two-out rally, plating one before rounding the bases and scoring on an error a couple of batters later.
 
Kevin Perez was credited with an RBI prior to the error on the infield single. He scored three times as a courtesy runner for Gipe, eventually hitting for the Patriots. Getting on base on the infield single, he would come around to score again on an Encarnacion single up the middle, his fourth run of the game.
 
Cumberlands scored four or more runs in four innings to take the 23-0 win from the Thomas More Saints to open the conference series. The Patriots are currently maintaining a two-game lead in the conference standings with five conference matchups remaining. Cumberlands is 35-5 on the year, 12-3 in MSC play.
 
The Patriots will complete the series against Thomas More tomorrow, Saturday April 17. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12 PM in Crestview Hills, KY.
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameDay, Instagram - @UCPatriots, YouTube – Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.