Story written and posted by Anthony Perry '08, Fisher College Associate Director of Athletics
WILLIAMSBURG, KY. – The Fisher College Baseball team kicked off their annual pilgrimage to the southern states this afternoon with a double-header at the Cumberlands University (Ky.), who is ranked 8th in the NAIA Baseball Top 25 Pre-Season Coaches Poll. The Falcons (2-12) dropped both ends of the twin-bill by scores of 8-1 and 7-2. The two teams will finish the four-game series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 1pm.
Game One: #8 Cumberlands (Ky.) 8, Fisher 1 (FINAL)
One of the NAIA's best offenses put their power on display in the series opener as the Patriots (12-3) topped the Falcons, 8-1.
Charlie Muniz and Evan St. Claire connected on a pair of dingers each to pace the offensive output. St. Claire notched a three-run homer in the first inning to five the Patriots the lead. In the following frame, Muniz and St. Claire went back-to-back to extend the lead and Muniz added another solo home run in the fourth.
Fisher got on the board in the second inning when freshman Jatnier Torres (Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico) crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Junior Jeremy Renta (Caguas, Puerto Rico) accounted for all of the Falcon offense as he finished the game going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Freshman Nomar Rosario (Fajardo, Puerto Rico) made his long-awaited debut with five relief innings. The right-handed limited the Patriots to five runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out two. Sophomore starter Jan Melendez (Yabucoa, Puerto Rico) was handed the loss on the mound after he surrendered three runs (all earned) without recording an out in the first inning.
Knicko Billings picked up the win as he held Fisher to just two hits over five innings of work and striking out nine. Caleb Plummer registered five strikeouts over his two innings in relief for the Patriots.
Game Two: #8 Cumberlands (Ky.) 7, Fisher 2 (FINAL)
The ball continued to fly out of the ballpark in the nightcap as the two teams combined for three home runs in the 7-2 Patriots victory.
Sophomore Yariel Salinas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) connected for his third home run of the season with a two-run bomb to left in the fourth. He was one of six different Falcons to record a hit in the contest, finishing 1-for-4 with the HR and 2 RBI. Torres chipped in with a double as he ended his afternoon going 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Muniz continued his torrid stretch with a two-run homer in the 2nd. Max Harper and Caden Petrey added solo homers in the 5th and 7th, respectively.
Freshman Randy Espinal (Lawrence, Mass.) was given the role as an opener for the contest as was saddled with the loss. The right-hander allowed five runs (all earned) on four hits over 1.2 innings of work. Graduate student-athlete Jonathan Toro Mesa (Oranjestad, Aruba) was efficient through the 4.1 inning on the mound as held the Patriots to just two runs (both earned) on five hits while striking out three.
Darian Fumero picked up the win in relief as he spun 4 innings of shutout ball. Jared Shelton collected the save after entering in the 9th inning with the bases loaded and inducing a game-ending groundout.
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Both teams will return to the ballpark tomorrow with first-pitch scheduled for 1pm.