Williamsburg, KY – The fourth-ranked Patriots (38-5, 12-1) battle from behind to secure a 13-8 victory in game one of the Mid-South Conference series over Cumberland University (21-22, 4-9). Across the game, UC marked 21 hits, with four long balls and four doubles. The pitching staff totaled 15 strikeouts.
Knicko Billings took his eleventh start of the season, completing four innings with eight strikeouts and allowing four runs on three hits.
Jared Shelton entered in relief, throwing three strikeouts and allowing three runs. The winning pitcher,
Caleb Plummer, moves to 2-0 after finishing 2.1 innings with one strikeout and one run allowed.
Chipper Korbacher earned his ninth save of the season, pitching the final 1.1 innings and striking out three batters.
At the plate,
Ben Snapp went 4-for-6, marking three RBIs on an RBI single and a two RBI double. Charlie Muñiz batted 3-for-6 with two RBIs off two solo home runs. Going 3-for-5,
Trent Prokes recorded two RBIs from two singles.
The Phoenix were first to score, leading 2-0 off a home run in the top of the second.
UC answered with four runs off four hits, in the bottom of the same frame, to take a 4-2 lead. The lead-off batter,
Evan St. Claire, was issued a walk and stole second base.
Johnboy Rittenhouse sent him home on an RBI double to left center; and took third on a wild pitch. In the next at-bat,
Alec Gonzalez was walked to put runners on the corners. Three singles in a row, by
Trent Prokes,
Caden Petrey, and
Christian Thompson, gave the Patriots the lead.
In the top of four, Cumberland responded with two runs, tying the score at 2-2, with an RBI single and an RBI walk.
The Patriots re-entered the lead, 6-4, in the bottom of the fourth inning. St. Claire was walked for the second time; and reached third on an RBI double by Rittenhouse. A pair of RBI singles hit by Gonzalez and Snapp plated two runs.
UC added one run, 7-4, in the bottom of five, after Charlie Muñiz sent the Patriots' 100
th home run of the season over the left field fence.
With two home runs in the top of the sixth, the Phoenix evened the score at 7-7.
Cumberland took an 8-7 lead with a solo homer, in the top of seven.
In the bottom of the seventh frame, back-to-back home runs by the first two batters of the inning, St. Claire and
Max Harper, put Cumberlands up 9-8.
The Patriots added four insurance runs for a final score of 13-8, in the bottom of eight. Muñiz led off the inning with his second solo home run of the day. Harper, who was substituted for pinch runner
Jay Flynn, reached base on a hit-by-pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. To put two runners on the bags, Gonzalez was walked. Snapp sent both Pats across the plate with a two RBI double to left center. For the final run, Prokes singled through the right side, sending Snapp home.
No. 4 UC Baseball will complete the Mid-South Conference series against Cumberland on Saturday April 19th, with the first pitch set at 1 p.m. Before the first game, there will be a field dedication ceremony beginning at 12:40 p.m. and the Patriot seniors will be honored in between games.
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