Box Score Barbourville, KY – The regular season has begun to wind down but the Bat Pats are moving full steam ahead, tallying a 10-3 win on the road. A pair of homers and 15 combined strikeouts put the Patriots over the top against Union.
 
From the hill, Walter Hernandez dealt out 10 strikeouts for the fourth time this season. He saw 6.0 innings of work, Jacob Ayala later checking into the game in relief for the bottom of the ninth, striking out three and fending off the Bulldogs.
 
Hernandez moved to 75 K's on the season as the pitching staff at Union combined for 15 strikeouts. This season the Patriots have noted 445 strikeouts through 47 games, a new team record. The tally overtakes the 2018 team's 443 strikeouts through the entirety of the season.
 
Cumberlands thrived on both sides of the inning. Pedro Nazario went 3-5 at the plate, including a two-run homer in the fifth. The senior was one of three Patriots to tally two RBI in the game. Ray Villanueva, Bryan Leef and Jose Rojas also noted multiple hits at Union.
 
The Patriots have now defeated Union twice this season, taking the Bulldogs at home 5-3 back in February.
 
It was a scoreless pair of innings to begin the game, not without big hits however. First inning saw Leef double to center field, but stranded aboard. Candido Encarnacion was robbed of a homerun deep to left field an inning later.
 
Villanueva slashed a standup double deep to the left-center gap, getting in scoring position. Runners put on the corners as an error put Over Torres on. A single for Rojas brought both of them home with the bases loaded.
 
Hernandez held the Bulldogs to two hits in four innings, striking out a pair in each of the third and fourth innings with some hot pitches.
 
Taking it to the fifth, Torres noted a lead-off walk for the Patriots and scored on a double to the right-center gap. Encarnacion scored from second on a single through the left side by Brian Garcia, beginning a two-out rally. Nazario and Rolando Rodriguez posted back-to-back homer to put the Patriots ahead 7-0 on the road.
 
Union went on to score two in the seventh and one in the eighth. The opposing bats however could not match the production of the Patriots. Cumberlands scored their 10 runs on 12 hits, meanwhile the Bulldogs were held to eight hits by four pitchers getting time on the hill.
 
Cumberlands added their final three runs in the eighth in response to Union breaking up the shutout. A leadoff walk and follow-up single put two Patriots on. Kevin Rolon and Villanueva advanced on stolen bases and another 90 feet on a balk, scoring one run. Villanueva was batted in by fellow outfielder Leef. Rojas tallied his 18th double of the season to put the Patriots with two in scoring position once again, Leef scoring on an RBI groundout.
 
Ayala came into action from the bullpen for the final three outs, dealing strikes to the Bulldogs and allowing one walk.
 
The MSC Tournament opening round is set for this week across the conference. The Patriots, winning the MSC regular season, secured a bye for the play-in and instead host Cincinnati Clermont for a pair of games on Sunday. The doubleheader is set for 2 PM at Doyle Buhl.
 
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