Cinderella is Dancing in Bowling Green
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Playing with confidence and riding the momentum of their walk-off 4-3 win over Georgetown earlier in the day, the Bethel Wildcats stunned top seeded and No. 5 ranked the University of the Cumberlands Wednesday afternoon in the 2026 Mid-South Conference Baseball Tournament at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The Cats won 4-1 in ten innings.
To those who have followed the Wildcats in recent weeks the win however should come as no big surprise as Bethel has played well as of late.
The tone was set early as Walker Ward was superb yielding just one run on seven hits in six innings.
The Pats took a 1-0 lead in the fourth.
The Wildcats tied the game in the top of the sixth. Kaiden Ingram scored on a sacrifice fly by C J Lattimore.
With no one out the Patriots loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning with three straight walks. Bethel's Peyton Martin entered the game and magic happened when the Cats pulled off a 5-2-5-4 triple play.
Cumberlands loaded the bases again in the bottom of the ninth. Martin was again able to get out of the inning and the score remained tied at 1-1.
Small ball payed off in the top of the tenth for the gritty Wildcats. After walks loaded the bases, Garrett Taylor scored on a perfect squeeze play bunt by Tyler Webb. Bethel wasn't through as Zayden McCaslin drove home two more runs with a single.
The Patriots had an 8-3 advantage in hits but stranded 14 runners.
Martin picked up the win giving him both victories on the day. Adriel Vega was credited with the save.
The Cats (13-28) move to the winner's bracket and will play Thursday against either Cumberland (Tenn.) or Lindsey Wilson at 2:30 p.m.
Cumberlands dropped to 41-8 and will play on Thursday at 11 a.m. against either Freed-Hardeman or Campbellsville.
No. 2-seed Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) (32-15, 10-7) faces No. 5-seed Campbellsville (Ky.) (25-21, 6-12) later in the day. The Lions won all three games with the Tigers this season in Henderson, Tenn.
Third-seeded Cumberland (Tenn.) (23-25, 10-8) meets fourth-seeded Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (19-27, 9-9) in Wednesday's final game. Lindsey Wilson won two of three games with the Phoenix in Lebanon, Tenn.
The double-elimination tournament continues through Saturday.
All tournament games will be free to watch on the Mid-South Conference Network hosted by the Urban Edge Network.
Tickets are available for purchase through the Hot Rods Ticket website.
Fans attending the games are reminded that Bowling Green Ballpark is a cashless facility. Fans may not bring outside food into the park, and there is a clear-bag only policy at Bowling Green Ballpark.
Tournament Page:
https://mid-southconference.org/sports/2026/4/28/BB_0427264636.aspx