Bowling Green, KY – The top-seeded Patriots (42-8) are moving on in the Mid-South Conference Tournament after holding on for a 4-3 victory over #2 seed Freed-Hardeman (32-17) on Thursday at Bowling Green Ballpark.
Cumberlands totaled four runs on four hits, using timely hitting and strong pitching to secure the win.
Wesley Culley earned the victory, improving to 8-1 after tossing five innings while allowing two runs on six hits and striking out five.
Justin Cortez picked up his fifth save of the season, closing out the final four innings while allowing just one run and striking out four.
Freed-Hardeman struck first, plating a run in the second inning before adding another in the third to take a 2-0 lead.
The Patriots responded in the bottom of the third.
Derick Andiarena drew a walk before
Ronald Almanzar launched a two-run home run to tie the game at 2-2, his team-leading 23
rd homer of the season.
Cumberlands took its first lead in the fourth inning.
Caden Petrey reached base and later scored on an RBI single from
Clay Shelton to make it 3-2.
The Patriots added an insurance run in the sixth. After
Pedro Vasquez reached, he came around to score on a defensive miscue to extend the lead to 4-2.
Freed-Hardeman cut the deficit to one in the eighth on an unearned run, but Cortez shut the door in the ninth to secure the 4-3 victory.
Cumberlands will take on the loser of #5 Campbellsville and #3 Cumberland University tomorrow, May 1st for another elimination game at 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT at Bowling Green Ballpark.
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.
