Williamsburg, KY – The #8 Pats (12-3) defeated Fisher (2-12) in both games of a twin bill, 8-1 and 7-2, on Saturday afternoon at Doyle Buhl Stadium. UC's battery totaled an impressive 31 strikeouts and just eight hits allowed, while the Patriots' offense tallied 18 hits with seven home runs across the two games.
No. 8 Cumberlands Takes Down the Falcons, 8-1
Knicko Billings (2-0) took the start on the mound, pitching for five full innings. The right-handed pitcher was credited with the win, throwing for nine strikeouts and allowing one run on two hits.
Caleb Plummer entered in relief in the top of the sixth inning and shut down Fisher with five strikeouts and no hits allowed.
In the first game of the double header, Charlie Muñiz went 3-for-3 at the plate. The catcher knocked out two home runs and a double to collect two RBIs and two runs scored, while being issued one walk. Also notching two home runs was center fielder,
Evan St. Claire, who batted 2-for-3 with four RBIs and one walk.
UC scored early in the bottom of the first for a lead of 3-0. The lead-off batters,
Ben Snapp and Charlie Muñiz, were walked and brought home on a home run by
Evan St. Claire.
Fisher put one run on the board on a drop-third strike, with an unsuccessful put-out, 3-1
The Patriots added two more in the bottom of two after Muniz and St. Claire knocked back-to-back homers, 5-0.
Muñiz tacked one run one the board with another home run in the bottom of the fourth, extending Cumberlands' lead to 6-0.
In the bottom of the fifth frame,
Caden Petrey doubled down the left line and advanced to second on single hit by
Alec Gonzalez. Petrey crossed the plate on throwing error by the Falcon's first baseman for a score of 7-0.
Cumberlands took their final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Muñiz laid a double down the left line and was substituted for pinch runner
Josiah Santiago. The next two batters, St. Claire and
Max Harper were walked to load the bases.
Johnboy Rittenhouse marked a sacrifice fly, bringing Santiago home.
No. 8 Cumberlands Rolls Past Fisher, 7-2
Starting pitcher,
Wesley Culley, went for 4.2 innings, recording nine strikeouts and two hits on three runs.
Darian Fumero (1-0) followed in relief, throwing eight strikeouts and allowing three hits, he earned his first win of the season. To close out the game,
Jared Shelton entered in a bases loaded situation and secured the final out to take his first save of 2024.
Max Harper went 3-for-5 with a home run, a triple, and two RBIs.
Clay Shelton, the catcher, batted 3-for-4 and was responsible for one RBI and one run scored. Third baseman
Caden Petrey hit 2-for-2, recording a home run, a double, and two runs scored. Charlie Muñiz went 1-for-4 with his final home run of the day and two RBIs.
In the bottom of the first, the Patriots jumped to an early 1-0 lead. St. Claire was issued a walk, stole second base, and scored on a single laid down by Harper.
UC extended their lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the next inning, with four runs on three hits. The lead-off batter, Petrey, was walked and advanced on a single from
Jaylen Jones. Petrey took third on a wild pitch and went home on a
Jeremy Garcia sacrifice fly. Jones was able to score on a double to left from Shelton. Muñiz brought Shelton across the plate with a homer to left center.
Fisher put up a two-run homer to minimize the gap, 5-2, in the top of the fourth.
In the bottom of the fifth frame, Harper launched a solo shot out of the park to take the score to 6-2.
The final run was scored by
Caden Petrey, who led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo home run to left field, 7-2.
The #8 Patriots will face Fisher in another double header on Sunday March 3
rd, with the first pitch at 1 p.m, to close out the series.
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