WALESKA, Ga. – The University of Tennessee Southern baseball team opened up the Southeast Rumble on Friday with an 19-11 upset win over #8 Cumberlands.

UT Southern (2-3) scored in the first, third and fourth inning to get on the board leading 10-0. Gabe Sibert put the Firehawks up in the first with a round tripper. UTS led 1-0 after one.

In the third inning, Kevin McCarthy doubled to left center scoring Noah Junker. Ty Garrett singled to center plating both McCarthy and Grayson Willis. UTS led 3-0 after three.

In the fourth, both teams would explode for 12 runs. Coleman Siniard doubled to center scoring McCarthy, Sibert, and Junker. Devin Buckhalter doubled to right scoring Siniard. Garrett hit a sacrifice fly to right allowing Siniard to score. Rhett Birdsong singled to left scoring Buckhalter. UTS led 10-0 after three and a half innings. Cumberlands (2-1) would answer back with six runs in the fourth bringing the score to 10-6.  

In the sixth, the Patriots added two via a homerun. UTS led 10-8 after six.

In the eighth, Siniard would double scoring McCarthy. UTS would lead 11-8 heading to the bottom half. UC would slip three across to tie the game heading to the ninth.

In the final inning, the Firehawks blazed the run column once again scoring seven. Sibert hit a sacrifice fly to right allowing Landon Rogers to score. McCarthy blasted a two-run bomb to life the Firehawks up 14-11. Garrett would draw a free pass pushing Willis across the plate. Rogers would single to right driving in Buckhalter and Blake Birdsong.  Sibert singled to the pitcher scoring Garrett. McCarthy would draw a walk advancing Rogers to score. UTS led 19-11 heading to the bottom of the ninth.

Tray Lacy got the start. Lacy fanned two Patriot batters and allowed four earned runs in 3.2 innings of work. Weston Horton tossed 2.1 innings allowing two runs. Griffin Sahli threw 1.1 innings allowing two earned runs. Josh Simmons tossed 1.2 innings allowing one earned run and three hits. Simmons earned his first win of the year.

NEXT UP

UT Southern will conclude the Southeast Rumble tomorrow playing a twin bill. Game one will feature the Firehawks and the host school #23 Reinhardt at 1 pm, and UT Southern will battle Baker at 4 pm.

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