Bowling Green, KY – The top-seeded Patriots (46-8) captured their seventh Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship in program history on Saturday at Bowling Green Ballpark, defeating #3 seed Cumberland University twice to complete the title run. Cumberlands won game one 14-4 to force a winner-take-all game before rallying for a 7-6 walk-off victory in the nightcap. The Patriots closed the tournament with five consecutive elimination wins.
No. 1 Cumberlands Dominates Game One, 14-4
The Patriots used a pair of big innings to overpower Cumberland University 14-4 in the opening game.
Ben Rohrbach earned the win in relief, tossing 5.2 strong innings while allowing just one run and striking out seven.
Offensively, Cumberlands exploded for 14 runs on 14 hits.
Derick Andiarena led the way with a home run and five RBI, while
Pedro Vasquez also went deep and drove in three runs.
Jay Flynn added three hits, and S. De La Cruz collected two hits and an RBI.
After the teams traded runs early, Cumberlands broke the game open in the fourth inning. Andiarena blasted a two-run home run to give UC a 4-1 lead.
The Patriots delivered the decisive blow in the sixth, plating six runs on five hits. Andiarena, Petrey, and Vasquez each drove in runs as UC extended the lead to 10-3.
Cumberlands continued to add on late, including a three-run eighth inning, to secure the 14-4 victory and force a decisive game.
No. 1 Cumberlands Rallies for 7-6 Walk-Off Win to Claim Title
In the championship game, the Patriots battled back from a late deficit to secure a 7-6 walk-off victory and the tournament title.
Stuart Tharle earned the win in relief after tossing the final inning and shutting down Cumberland in the top of the ninth.
Cumberlands jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, capitalizing on defensive miscues and a sacrifice fly from
Jay Flynn.
The Patriots added another run in the fifth as
Derick Andiarena launched a solo home run to extend the lead to 3-1.
Cumberland responded in the eighth inning with a five-run rally to take a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the frame.
UC answered immediately. The Patriots scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by RBI plays from Flynn and Andiarena to tie the game at 6-6.
After holding Cumberland scoreless in the top of the ninth, Cumberlands completed the comeback in the bottom half. With runners in scoring position,
Chris Seay capitalized on a wild pitch to bring home the game-winning run and secure the 7-6 victory.
Cumberlands will now turn its attention to the NAIA Opening Round, which will be hosted in Williamsburg beginning May 11th.
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