Kingsport, TN – The No. 5 Patriots (2-0) opened the 2025 season traveling to Kingsport, TN to compete in the Clash of Conferences, facing Madonna (1-1) and Rio Grande (2-5) on day one. In the first game, Cumberlands defeated Madonna, 12-3 with 17 hits. In the following matchup, UC rallied to beat Rio Grande, 4-2, with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Game one: No. 5 UC Defeats Madonna, 12-3
Kailen Hamson got the ball in the season opener for UC and was victorious. The left-handed pitcher threw four scoreless innings and recorded seven strikeouts. Yannis Rembert pitched the final 1.1 innings of the game and tallied a strikeout on just one hit.
At the plate, UC had three players collect three hits in the game. Alec Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with a homerun, a double, and two RBIs. Designated hitter, Jose Valentin, also batted 3-for-5. He marked a double with one RBI and three runs scored. Finishing 3-for-4 was right fielder Pedro Vasquez with three singles, one RBI, and two runs scored in his Patriot debut.
Preseason All-American Charlie Muñiz wasted no time going yard as he hit a solo homerun in the top of the first to give UC an early 1-0 lead.
The Pats added four more to the board in the top of the second inning courtesy of the long ball once again. After a one-out single by Pedro Vasquez, Caden Petrey delivered a two-run homerun to increase the lead to 3-0. After back-to-back walks from Christian Thompson and Muñiz, Alec Gonzalez hit a double to left center, scoring Thompson and making the score 4-0. Next at-bat, Max Harper brought in a run on a fielder's choice, extending the lead to 5-0.
In the top of the third inning, Cumberlands plated two runs on three hits for a lead of 7-0. Ben Snapp and Valentin led off the inning with singles to put two runners on. Following a strikeout, Caden Petrey hit a two-RBI triple in the left center gap, brining in two runs and the UC lead was 7-0.
UC would tack on another run in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly from Muñiz to make it an 8-0 ballgame.
The Patriots extended their lead to 9-0 on an RBI single from Thompson. After two quick outs, Valentin singled to center while Vasquez walked and Petrey was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Thompson stepped up with a single through the left side to score Valentin and the score was now 9-0.
Madonna retaliated in the bottom of the sixth, plating three runs to close the gap to 9-3.
In the top-half of the seventh, the Patriots scored three runs on three hits. Gonzalez led things off with a homerun to left field, the third home run of the day for Cumberlands. Both Valentin and Vasquez recorded RBI hits in the frame to score two more runs to bring the lead back up to nine at 12-3.
Game two: No. 5 Cumberlands Rallys to Beat Rio Grande, 4-2
Ben Rohrbach earned his first win as a Patriot, after entering the game in relief in the sixth inning. First baseman, Max Harper, went 2-for-3, with two hits, one run, and one RBI. Johnboy Rittenhouse had one hit with two RBIs. It was a pitcher's dual through the first five innings as both pitchers went five shutout innings. Wesley Culley got the start for UC in game two and pitched five strong innings. The senior threw six strikeouts, three groundouts, and allowed three hits, but held the Red Storm to one run.
After a scoreless five innings, Rio Grande managed to get on the board first on a fielder's choice in the top of the sixth.
The Patriots' bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth with four runs on three hits. Caden Petrey got things started with a one-out single, followed by back-to-back walks from Thompson and Muñiz to load the bases. Alec Gonzalez hit in the three-hole and was able to do his job with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Petrey to tie things up at 1-1.
Cumberlands wasn't done, with two outs Max Harper singled to right field, earning an RBI and giving the Pats their first lead of the game. Johnboy Rittenhouse followed that up with a double in the left center gap, bringing two more runners to the plate to make the score 4-1.
In the top of the seventh, right-handed pitcher Jack Scrofano came in to record the final three outs for UC. After the first two got on for the Red Storm, the sophomore got a huge double play ball to become one out away. Rio Grande singled the next at-bat to make the score 4-2 and bring the tying run to the plate. However, Scrofano was able to force a groundout to first base to secure the win for the Pats and record his first save as a Patriot.
Cumberlands will be back in action tomorrow for day two of the Clash of Conferences. UC will play (RV) Indiana Wesleyan in the first game at 2 pm, followed by West Virgina Tech at 5 p.m. ET.
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.
