Lindsey Wilson ends CU's season 6-5 in MSC Championships
May 4—BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Cumberland but could not get to Lindsey Wilson reliever Glenn Simes as the Blue Raiders advanced to the Mid-South Conference Championships double-elimination round and ended CU's season with a 6-5 verdict Wednesday at Bowling Green Ballpark.
The Phoenix needed to get to Lindsey Wilson starter and first team all-conference selection Cohen Achen and they did just that, but Simes was great out of the bullpen.
Seth Sweet-Chick and Riley Light each had big games going 2-for-4. Sweet-Chick homered and tripled while Light hit a triple and a double. Dee Triplett bopped a home run and Rafael Garcia added two hits in the game.
Lindsey Wilson had two big innings and that was enough for the Blue Raiders to move on. Lindsey scored three runs in the first on a homer and added three in the fifth to get the lead and stay ahead the rest of the game.
The Blue Raiders capitalize on an extra out in the bottom of the first as Torres got a punch out, but the ball squirted away from the catcher allowing him to reach base. After a walk, Chance Stanton blasted a three-run homer to give the Blue Raiders a 3-0 lead after the first.
Light led off the second with a scorcher that reached the wall in the right-center gap going for a triple. Preston Welchel drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center. Sweet-Chick followed with a solo home run to right field to cut the score to 3-2 after two.
In the third, Tim Holyk extended the inning by getting hit by a pitch with two outs. This allowed Triplett to step up and deliver a two-run homer to give CU a 4-3 lead.
The Phoenix added to the lead in the fourth as the Sweet-Chick roped a ball off the wall in center field. The ball shot away from Lindsey Wilson center fielder to give Sweet-Chick a triple. Rafael Garcia followed with a single to right to bring in Sweet-Chick. Cumberland continued to threaten as Brandon Boxer followed with a single, but Cohen Achen stranded the two on second and third with the Phoenix leading 5-3.
Lindsey Wilson got to Torres in the fifth. Matt Schultz led off the inning with a single. A walk put two runners on base and Jonathan Barham delivered a double down the left field line to score both runners to tie the game. The Blue Raiders were not done there as Koby Wall singled in the go-ahead run for the 6-5 lead.
Cumberland went to the pen after the go-ahead single and brought in Anthony Patterson. Patterson was dominant in relief as he gave up just one hit and struck out eight in 3.2 innings.
Simes matched Patterson on the mound and went the final five innings to close out the game and pick up the win. Simes gave up just two hits and walked two in the final five innings working around minimal damage or stressful situations.
Garcia led off the sixth with a single and Javier Beal drew a walk. Both of them moved up to second and third on a fly ball from Alonzo Zuniga. With Holyk up, Simes induced an inning-ending pop up as that was the biggest threat he faced.
In the ninth, the Phoenix had one last hope, but Simes sat the side down in order to retire the side.
The Phoenix's season came to a close with a 22-28 record.
Triplett, Light, Holyk earn 2nd team all-conference accolades
Cumberland's Dee Triplett, Riley Light and Tim Holyk each earned second team All-Mid-South Conference baseball honors, announced Wednesday ahead of the conference tournament by league officials.
Triplett was a first team all-conference member last season and this season has earned a spot on the second team as the first baseman. He has been a force with his bat the last two seasons. This year he has the second-best average on the team hitting .346 and is tied for the second-most home runs with 14, fifth in the Mid-South. The left-handed slugger has droven in 47 runs and scored 36 this season while hitting six doubles.
Light made his debut on the all-conference list coming in as a transfer this season, earning honors as an outfielder. He has hit .311 this year with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs. Light leads the team in doubles with eight.
Holyk also earned second team all-conference honors for the first time in his career. Holyk is hitting .353 with 10 homers and 32 runs batted in, and leads the team in batting average. He scored the second most runs on the team with 39. The senior has played at third base primarily and was selected as an extra on the second team.
