Portsmouth, OH- The ninth-ranked Patriots took down the Bears twice to get the series sweep against Shawnee State after winning the first game 6-5 and the second 3-2. They improved to 33-5 on the season and 17-4 in conference play.

Game One 6-5

Garrett DeClue got the start and the win as he pitched 4.1 innings allowing five hits, two earned runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. Cesar Avila came into close and picked up a save after pitching 2.1 innings, only giving up one hit with four strikeouts. Jared Shelton also made an appearance and notched a strikeout. At the plate, Evan St Claire led the way going 2-2 with a home run, three RBIs, and a stolen base. Max Harper and Ben Snapp added a double each.

After a scoreless first inning, the Patriots scored three runs in the second to take the lead. Harper led off the inning by getting walked. St Claire laid down a sac bunt but reached on an error. Snapp followed with a double to left field to score the game's first run. Josh Simon notched an RBI on a groundout, then an RBI sac bunt from Ryan Shavers gave UC the 3-0 lead.

UC would score three more runs in the third to extend their lead to 6-0. With one out, Sujel Arias singled up the middle. Harper followed with a double to left center. St Claire stepped up and hit a bomb clear over the right field fence for the 6-0 lead.

The Bears answered in the fifth by scoring five runs but would not get any closer as the Pats responded with two great defensive innings. This gave UC the series win.

Game Two 3-2

Knicko Billings got the start and pitched 6.0 innings scattering five hits for two runs and three strikeouts. Chipper Korbacher came into get the win as he pitched 2.0 innings, not allowing a hit or run, with three strikeouts. At the plate, St Claire went 2-5 with a double and a solo home run. Arias went 2-2 with a double, while Almanzar added a double with a stolen base as well.

The Bears got on the board first in the first innings, and UC answered with a run in the third to tie the game at 1-1. Raphy Almanzar got walked to start the inning, then stole second a few plays later. A few pitches later, he advanced to third on a wild pitch. Almanzar would tie the game on an RBI sacrifice fly from Arias.

UC took the lead in the seventh after scoring a run. Almanzar led off the inning with a double to left center. Two batters later, Arias got walked, and Harper notched an RBI single to take the 2-1 lead. Shawnee State answered to tie the game in their at-bat. Later in the ninth, St Claire gave UC the 3-2 lead with a home run over the right-center fence. The Pats held the Bears scoreless to get the sweep. Cumberlands will be back on the road on Tuesday, April 11, as they make the trip to Midway, KY to take on Midway.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics. Please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter- @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, TikTok- @ucpatriots, Youtube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.