How Sweet-Chick it is
Apr. 6—ATHENS, Tenn. — Cumberland desperately needed to get back in the win column after losing game one of Wednesday's doubleheader at Tennessee Wesleyan.
The Phoenix pulled off one of their most improbable wins as they rallied in game two trailing 10-2 by scoring nine runs with two outs in the seventh inning to come from behind and win the second game of the doubleheader 11-10. Seth Sweet-Chick came off the bench to swat a three-run homer to put Cumberland ahead. Earlier in the inning, Ty Martin hit a grand slam.
Tennessee Wesleyan won a low-scoring dual in game one, 3-1. The Bulldogs used a two-out rally in the third inning to put runners on before Marco Martinez hit a double to plate the first run of the game. The next batter, Jack Stevens hit a two-run single to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
That would be all the run support that Wesleyan starter Christian Delaschmidt would need as he tossed five innings giving up three hits without allowing a run.
Once the Phoenix got into the bullpen in the sixth, they strung together a couple of hits. Bradnon Boxer was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Tim Holyk hit a one-out single to right and Dee Triplett followed with a rope off the wall to score Boxer, but Triplett was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double. The Bulldogs retired the next batter for a 3-1 score going into the seventh.
Riley Light led off the seventh with a base hit, but a fielders' choice and a punchout gave the Phoenix two outs. Ian Krump hit a single to extend the game with two outs, but Boxer struck out looking to end the game.
Quinlin Wiley got the start and the loss on the mound. Wiley threw three innings and gave up five hits and three runs. Bracken Rice threw a scoreless fourth inning and Alex Smith tossed the fifth and sixth giving up one hit with three strikeouts.
Game two appeared to be headed the way of the Bulldogs as they built an eight run lead up 10-2 in the final frame, but Cumberland scored nine runs to get the win 10-2.
Light got the scoring started in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to left field, his 10th home run of the season, but Tennessee Wesleyan quickly responded.
The Bulldogs tacked on four runs to take the lead. Stevens hit a leadoff single before scoring on a triple. Kruise Newman hit a three-run home run to lift the Bulldogs up 4-1.
Tennessee Wesleyan continued to pour in more runs adding four more in the third for an 8-1 lead.
Solo home runs from Evan Magill and Corbin Shaw extended the lead to 10-1 through five innings.
In the sixth inning, Stoney Smith reached on an error to start the inning. Brandon Boxer followed with a single and Martin came up clutch with a pinch-hit single to score a run and get some momentum on Cumberland's side.
The seventh inning was a storybook ending. The Phoenix were down 10-2 in the final inning. Alonzo Zuniga led off with a single, but the next two batters were retired for two outs. At this point, the Phoenix began to get it going. Smith drew a free pass and Boxer hit a double to center to score both runners. Gaines Haussin and Toshiki Kuriya were both walked to load the bases for Martin. Martin hit a grand slam to right field for his first career home run and ignited the Cumberland dugout as they cut the score to 10-8.
Daniel Schweitzer kept the rally going with a double to left field. Zuniga collected his second hit of the inning to draw the second pitching change of the inning for Tennessee Wesleyan. The Bulldogs went with Daniel Davila, the pitcher with the most innings and wins on their team to try to secure the win. Cumberland countered with a pinch hitter in Sweet-Chick. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Sweet-Chick jacked a three-run home run to complete the comeback and give Cumberland a 11-10 lead.
With all the momentum, Cumberland still had to pick up the final three outs of the game. Jake Green issued walks to the first two batters. Tennessee Wesleyan bunted them over to second and third with one out. Cumberland elected to intentionally walk the next batter to set up the force and a double play. The move worked to perfection as Green induced a game-ending 463 double play to complete the win.
Green tossed the final two innings to get the win. He issued three walks, gave up one hit, and struck out two batters.
The Phoenix are back at Ernest L. Stockton Field-Woody Hunt Stadium this weekend to play host to Freed-Hardeman. The first game of the three-game series was played yesterday. The 2014 national championship team will be honored in between games today.
