Lewiston, ID – The #7 seeded Patriots stayed alive in the Avista NAIA World Series with a hard-fought 8-6 victory over #10 Grand View on Saturday afternoon at Harris Field. UC outhit the Vikings 11-8 in the contest while the pitching staff allowed just four earned runs.
Knicko Billings got the start on the mound and was credited with his tenth of the season. The senior threw 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Nolan Wilson was first in relief, giving up one run without a hit across 1.2 innings of work. JD Price earned his tenth save of the season, allowing one run on one hit and a strikeout.
At the plate, Edwin Martinez batted 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Derick Andiarena hit 1-for-2, notching a double and two walks. Trent Prokes went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Patriots grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Chirstian Thompson singled to right field to lead off the inning. One batter later, Andiarena walked to put two runners on base, before both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Next at-bat, Max Harper drove in the first run on an RBI-ground out.
Grand View responded in the top of third to tie the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of third inning, UC regained the lead at 3-1 with two runs on two hits. With two outs, Andiarena doubled to the right center gap, followed by a Harper walk and an Alec Gonzalez hit by pitch to load the bases. Pedro Vasquez then reached first base on an error by the Vikings to plate two runs.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Vikings evened the score once again at 3-3 with two runs.
Vasquez had a response again in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI-sacrifice fly out to plate Andiarena, giving the Pats a 4-3 lead.
The Bats came alive again for UC in the sixth. Back-to-back hits from Prokes and Caden Petrey put runners on second and third with nobody out. Prokes proceeded to score on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 5-3. Thompson did his job with an RBI-sacrifice fly out to score Petrey from third, increasing the lead to 6-3.
Grand View would not go away as they added a run in the seventh and eighth innings to cut the deficit to one, 6-5.
The Pats were able to add some much-needed insurance runs in the bottom of the frame to grab an 8-5 advantage. Petrey hit an RBI-single to left field to plate the first run while Andiarena recorded an RBI-sacrifice fly out.
In the top of the ninth, Price entered the game to try and close this one out. After a leadoff home run, the right-handed pitcher settled in and recorded the final three outs with the tying run on first base to keep the Pats season alive.
Cumberlands advances to face the #8 seed Loyola University (La.) in another elimination game on Monday May 26th at 2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT.
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