Bowling Green, KY - The (RV) and second-seed Patriots are heading back to the MSC Championship game after taking down top seed Freed-Hardeman 9-7 on Saturday evening at Bowling Green Ballpark. A big sixth inning, where Cumberlands scored five runs helped propel them to the victory.

UC threw four arms today; each played a huge role. Thomas Gutierrez got the start and pitched 4.1 innings giving up 11 hits, five earned runs, with four strikeouts. Jake Kmiecik came in relief and pitched 3.1 innings while scattering four hits for no runs, two walks and a strikeout. Kmiecik got the win and moved to 5-0 on the season. Walter Hernandez also came in relief and got UC out of the eighth inning with a strikeout. Chipper Korbacher notched his sixth save of the season, also he pitched 1.0 innings allowing one hit and two strikeouts.

Offensively, two big homeruns by Sujel Arias and Sean Cheely in the sixth, who both went 2-5 at the plate gave UC a much-needed boost. Cheely's other hit was a triple and he tallied three RBIs. Both, Raphy Almanzar and Candido Encarnacion went 2-4 at the plate with an RBI apiece.  

Cumberlands scored the first run of the game in the top of the first. With one out Almanzar reached first after getting hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Arias reached on an error as Almanzar came around to score as UC took the 1-0 lead.

After a response in the fourth by the Lions, UC tallied three runs in their next at-bat. With one out Encarnacion singled up the middle, Andres Rolon followed with a double to left center. Luis Alvarez would then groundout but got an RBI as a run came home. Next, Cheely tripled off a ball that was hit to deep right center field, and Rolon came home to score. Almanzar then stepped up and notched an RBI as he hit a ball through the right side, for the 4-2 lead.

Freed-Hardeman rallied to regain the lead with four runs in their at bat. The Pats answered with five runs in the sixth to get the 9-6 lead. Arias got the rally started with a lead off homerun to left field. Ray Villanueva then reached first on an error and went to second on the throw. Seth Benner got hit by a pitch, and Encarnacion followed with an RBI single to tie the game a 6-6. After a pitching change, both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Then a sacrifice fly by Rolon gave UC the 7-6 lead. Two batters later, Cheely stepped to the plate and hit a no doubter over the left field fence to take the 9-6 lead.

After some scoreless innings, the Lions try to rally in the bottom of the ninth but fell short as Korbacher notched back-to-back strikeouts and Villanueva caught a fly ball on the warning track to end the game at 9-7.

With this win, UC will get an automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament but will look to win the MSC Conference Championship first. The championship game will be tomorrow May 8^th at 5 pm (CT) and they will take on the winner of game nine scheduled for tomorrow as well.

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