By: Sutton Jacobs
Box Score Bowling Green, KY – A second inning grand slam extended their lead to six, helping the Patriots to a 9-6 victory in their first game of the conference tournament. Cumberlands advance to the semifinal game tomorrow morning at 11 AM eastern.
Bases loaded after a pair of two-out walks, MSC Player of the Year
Bryan Leef hit a blast over right-center to move the Patriots ahead 6-0 on the morning. The slugger went 2-5 in the game, leading the bats with four RBI.
Leef had one of four hits for extra bases;
Ray Villanueva led off the game with a triple to the gap in right-center field. Torres followed with an RBI double off the wall for the first run of the game, brought home by
Candido Encarnacion.
Three walks and a single plated the seventh run for the Patriots,
Jose Rojas credited with the RBI. Team player Encarnacion followed, again plating a run on the sac flyout deep to center field. Torres scored his third run of the game on the sacrifice hit.
The Patriots keyed in on the Blue Raiders' mistake in the fifth. LWC attempted to turn a double play, but a throw off the mark put Villanueva on third and scored
Pedro Nazario for the ninth run of the game.
The Blue Raiders attempted a late rally to no avail, closing in with four scored in the final two innings.
Garrett Vathroder stepped up to record his ninth save of the season, forcing the double play to retire the game.
Nathan Geissler tallied another appearance on the hill for the Patriots, tallying his 10th win of the season with the team victory. He started the day dropping the first batter on strikes, recording three through six innings of work. The right-hander held the Blue Raiders scoreless until the fifth, allowing two hits over the early going.
Next, Patriots will take on the winner of Freed-Hardeman and Georgetown tomorrow at 11 AM eastern. Cumberlands has went 3-1 against the Tigers this season, 2-1 in conference play, while not meeting Freed-Hardeman on the field in 2021. Stats and live video of the contest will be provided courtesy of Campbellsville and Sporting Times.
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