LEBANON, Tenn. – The Bethel Wildcats closed out their weekend conference series Sunday at Cumberland University with a doubleheader against the Phoenix.
CU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game one. The Phoenix plated three runs in the bottom of the first. The home team added a single run in the third and two runs in the fifth to win 6-0. The Wildcats managed just one hit against Trevor Muzzi. Marco Santa suffered the Wildcat loss. CU had nine hits in the game.
The Phoenix took an early lead in game two, scoring four runs in the first inning. The Wildcats scratched back as Ivan Vega drove in a run in the fourth with an RBI single. Jose Olmeda doubled driving in a run in the top of the fifth. CU scored a run in the bottom of the fifth to lead 5-2. Aidan Morris singled and drove in a run to cut the Wildcat deficit to 5-3 in the top of the sixth. Olmeda homered in the seventh to pull the Wildcats to within one at 5-4. A three run seventh propelled the Phoenix to an 8-4 lead. The Wildcats fought back with a four run ninth to tie the game at 8-8. Vega had an RBI single. Noah Foster drove in a run with a fielder's choice. He later scored when Jake McDaniel hit a dramatic homer to tie the game. Alexis Rodriguez worked out of a jam in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Olmeda led off the top of the tenth with a homer to give the Wildcats a 9-8 lead. Cumberland scored four runs in the bottom of the tenth to win 12-9. CU tied the game at nine and then Cole Turney hit a walk-off three run home to give the Phoenix the sweep.
The Wildcats dropped to 9-21 overall and 5-10 in the MSC. Cumberland moved to 21 -5-1 and 11-0.
The Wildcat game scheduled at Oakland City Tuesday has been cancelled.
The Cats return to action next weekend playing host to Tennessee Southern. The squads play a single game at 6 p.m. Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday at noon. Due to recent storm damage to Wildcat Park the games will be played at the McKenzie High School Field. There will be live stats only.
Live stats:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/boxscores/20230331_wuy4.xml
