LEBANON, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Southern baseball team split the first pair of games in the three-game set with #23 Cumberland on Thursday. UTS exploded for seven runs in the final frame to upend CU 15-11, but the Phoenix would double up the Firehawks in game two by a score of 10-5. Both squads will compete in the rubber match, weather permitting, tomorrow at noon.

GAME ONE

UTS would get started early scoring three runs in the opening frame. Michael Wurtz would hit a sacrifice line out to left scoring Brantley Holden. Kevin McCarthy would double to right center scoring Landon Rogers. Coleman Siniard would single to left center driving in McCarthy. UTS would lead 3-1 after one.

In the second, Rogers would single to left scoring Ty Garrett. UTS would increase the lead to 4-1 after two.

In the third, the Firehawks would add a pair of long balls. Blake Birdsong would hit a solo homer to right. Two batters later, Janzen Powell would blast a two-run bomb scoring Garrett. UTS would be on top 7-3 after three.

In the fifth, Birdsong would blast his second solo shot of the game. After five complete innings Cumberland would lead 10-8.

The Firehawks would ignite posting a touchdown in the seventh. Birdsong would hit his third solo homer. Rogers would double down the left field line scoring Chandler Jordan and Holden. McCarthy would reach on a fielder's choice driving in Rogers and a CU error would allow Grayson Willis to cross the plate. Siniard would single to right scoring McCarthy and Wurtz.

Griffin Sahli would toss four innings in the start. Sahli would allow seven runs on eight hits. Gerry Wayne Davis would allow three earned runs on two hits. Josh Simmons would work one inning allowing one earned run on two hits. Joe Hicks would take the win by working 1.1 innings. Hicks would allow one hit and strike out three. Birdsong would record the final out notching the save.

GAME TWO

UTS would take the early in the first. Rogers would homer to left. UTS would lead 1-0 after one.

In the third, Powell would hit his second bomb of the day. Both teams would be tied at two after three innings.

In the seventh, Wurtz singled to right, driving in Rogers and Holden. UTS would trail 9-4 after seven.

Josh Porter would homer in the eighth. CU would still hold a 10-5 lead after eight innings.

Nathan Curtis would be saddled with the loss. Curtis would work 3.2 innings allowing eight runs on six hits. Weston Horton would toss the final 4.1 innings. Horton would allow a pair of earned runs on a pair of hits.

NEXT UP

The Firehawks will close out the regular season with game three with Cumberland in Lebanon, Tenn. on Friday, April 21^st. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.

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