Kingsport, Tenn. – The No. 6 University of the Cumberlands baseball team closed out the Clash of Conferences with a pair of victories over West Virginia Tech on Monday at Hunter Wright Stadium. The Patriots opened the day with a dominant 17-0 shutout before completing the sweep with a 10-3 win in game two to improve to 6-0 on the season.
No. 6 Cumberlands Dominates WVU Tech, 17-0
Cumberlands opened the final day of the Clash of Conferences with a commanding 17-0 victory behind dominant pitching and a balanced offensive attack.
Stuart Tharle earned the win on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out six. Yannis Rembert was equally impressive in relief, throwing two shutout innings and striking out four to preserve the shutout.
The Patriots totaled 17 runs on 17 hits and did not commit an error in the win.
Caden Petrey led the offense, going 3-for-3 with three RBI and a walk. Derick Andiarena finished 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Ronald Almanzar went 2-for-2 with three runs scored. Bryce Turner drove in two runs off the bench, and Cayden Smithers added a pinch-hit two-run double late in the contest.
Cumberlands struck early with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Petrey opened the scoring with an RBI single before Zamaurion Hatcher and Pedro Vasquez followed with RBI hits to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead.
The Patriots added three more runs in the third inning and continued to build the advantage with two runs in the fourth and four in the fifth. Cumberlands capped the scoring with a five-run sixth inning, highlighted by Smithers' two-run double to right-center field, to secure the 17-0 victory.
No. 6 Patriots Complete Sweep with 10-3 Win
Cumberlands carried the momentum into game two, earning a 10-3 victory to complete the sweep over WVU Tech.
Jackson Mayo picked up the win for the Patriots, working four innings and allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out three. Ethan Coronel was outstanding in relief, tossing three shutout innings without allowing a hit and striking out three.
Offensively, Andiarena went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Almanzar finished 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and two walks, while Johnboy Rittenhouse went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Justin Veloz added a two-run double, and Turner scored twice in the victory.
After a scoreless first inning, the Patriots broke through in the second. A balk opened the scoring before Veloz delivered a two-run double down the left-field line. Rittenhouse followed with an RBI single to give UC a 4-0 lead.
WVU Tech responded with two runs in the bottom of the second inning, but the Patriots answered in the third. Andiarena singled in two runs before Almanzar launched a three-run home run to right-center field to push the lead to 9-2.
Cumberlands added one more run in the fifth inning as Rittenhouse singled home Andiarena to make it 10-3. Coronel shut the door over the final three innings to seal the win and the sweep.
The Patriots will be back in action on Friday, February 13, when they host Siena Heights University for a three-game series in Williamsburg, Ky.
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