Williamsburg, KY – Baseball is in the air and the 11
th-ranked Patriots was able to handle business, getting two wins over Saint Francis. UC advances to 7-1 on the season, after a 8-5 win in game one and a 7-0 win in game two.
In game one,
Braxton Cottongame got the start and the win as he pitched 5.0 innings allowing five hits, three runs, one walk, and two strikeouts.
Chipper Korbacher closed the game for the Pats, as he pitched 2.0 innings giving up four hits two runs, no walks, with two strikeouts.
Carlos Muniz kept his hot week going 2-3 with a home run and two RBIs.
Sean Cheely went 2-3 with a double and a stolen base.
In the first at bat for the Pats, Cheely scored off a
Ray Villanueva fielder's choice. Two batters later, Muniz stepped to the plate and hit a two-run homer over the left field fence, giving UC a 3-0 lead.
That score held until the third inning when Villanueva reached base on fielder's choice. Then the reigning MSC Player of the Week, Aries, hit a triple to right field bringing Villanueva home for the 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the 6
th, Cumberlands would expand their lead to 8-2, behind a two-run double down the left field line by
Ryan Shavers. Then
Ernies Lozada scored on a passed ball.
Saint Francis notched two last runs in the 7
th, to get the score to 8-4, before getting retired by a Korbacher strikeout.
Hunter Rigsby would get the start and win in game two after pitching 4.1 innings only allowing three hits, no runs, two walks, and eight strikeouts.
Gabriel Ramos came in and pick up a save after pitching 2.2 innings, with no hits, runs, or walks, with four strikeouts.
Raphy Almanzar went 1-2, with a home run and three RBI's. While Muniz went 2-3 with two doubles, and Cheely went 2-3 with a double and triple.
Kevin Perez notched two stolen bases.
UC got a run in the 1
st from Cheely by way of an Almanzar sacrifice fly. In Almanzar's next at bat in the 3
rd, he tallied his first home run as a Patriot. This gave Cumberlands a 3-0 lead.
Seth Benner collected his first collegiate RBI, as he singled to left field bringing Muniz home in the bottom of the 4
th.
Later in the bottom of the 6
th,
Candido Encarnacion would extend the lead as he doubled to left field allowing
Andres Rolon to score from second. Benner would then get another single, bringing home two more runs for the 7-0 lead going into the 7
th.
Ramos would end the game with a three up-three down inning, as he notched two of his four strikeouts.
Cumberlands will return to Doyle Buhl Stadium tomorrow at 1 pm for the second part of the four-game series against the University of Saint Francis.
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