Mobile, AL – 11
th ranked UC notches their first two wins of the season against Mobile (8-3) and Midway (4-3) on opening day in Mobile, Alabama.
Braxton Cottongame notched his first win as a Patriot in the first game against Mobile, as he faced 18 batters and threw 44 strikes. While
Thomas Gutierrez notched his first win of the season against Midway, as he faced 23 batters and threw 50 strikes. In the first game against Mobile,
Carlos Muniz went a perfect 3-3 at bat with one RBI, while
Ryan Shavers went 2-4 with two runs and one RBI. In the second game against Midway, both
Ray Villanueva and
Raphy Almanzar went 2-3 at bat. With Almanzar getting two RBIs.
Against Mobile, UC found themselves down 2-0 at the end of the 3
rd.
Sujel Arias got the scoring started after drawing a two out walk, Arias when scored off a
Candido Encarnacion double to right center. Muniz then singled through the left side to bring Encarnacion home to tie the game 2-2. UC was able to take the lead one batter later as Shavers doubled to right center.
Ernies Lozada would then single up the middle, to bring Shavers home for a 4-2 lead.
Then in the top of the 6
th, Muniz recorded his third hit of the ballgame.
Shane Jones doubled to right center, bringing courtesy runner
Kevin Perez home to extend the lead to 5-3. Later in the inning, Almanzar singled through the left side notching two RBIs, bringing Lozada and Shavers home for the score, 7-3. The Patriots would get one more run to notch the 8-3 win.
Against Midway, Lozada got the scoring started with a runoff of a
Rhett Gipe fielder's choice.
Sean Cheely then would single to right field to bring courtesy runner Perez home, to get the 2-0 lead. The very next play Almanzar would double to left center, which brough Cheely home for a 3-0 lead.
Later, in the 5
th inning, Almanzar would get his second hit of the game by singling up the middle. His hit would bring Cheely home too extent the Pats lead to 4-1.
The Eagles would cut the lead to 4-3 in the top of the 6
th. But
Caleb Plummer would come in to relieve Gutierrez and make sure UC got the 4-3 win, after facing six batters and getting 19 strikes.
The Patriots are back in action tomorrow Feb 6 in Mobile, AL to take on Midway at 12 and Mobile at 5.
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