Wildcats’ offense falls flat at Cumberland University

Bethel loses series 0-3 to #23 Bulldogs

Matt Swinea, Sports Information Director

McKenzie, Tenn. – The Wildcat baseball team had a tough challenge facing them in their weekend conference series against the #23 ranked Cumberland University Bulldogs.  The Wildcats found runs hard to come by, scoring only two runs in the three game set, while allowing 28.  Cumberland is a perennial power having captured the NAIA World Series title in 2004 and were NAIA World Series runners-up last season. 

In game one on Friday, Tyler Newman (Jr./Henderson, Tenn.) was roughed up for eight runs on nine hits in six innings.  Rhett Hughes (Jr./Harrisburg, Ill.) came on in the eighth and gave up two runs before the game was called under the 10 run rule.  Bethel managed only three hits in the 0-10 loss.  Cumberland hit four homers in the game. 

The first game on Saturday didn’t fair much better for the Wildcats.  Starting pitcher Jon Patterson (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) lasted only one inning giving up 10 hits, 10 runs and 9 earned runs.  Relievers Landon Wood (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.), Kyle Rogers (Sr./Henderson, Tenn.) and Brian Nellett (So./Huntingdon, Tenn.) tried to keep a lid on things, but the game was called after five innings on the 10 run rule, 0-12.  Again the Bulldogs went deep four times in the win.  In the final game of the series, Bethel got three strong innings out of starter Blake Willis (Jr./Newbern, Tenn.).  Willis allowed three hits and no runs while striking out four.  But, the ‘Cats bullpen couldn’t hold the Bulldogs as Wood allowed a run, Jonathan Neely (Jr./Cullman, Ala.) allowed two, Hughes one and Nellett one.  Bethel did manage to get four hits in the game and plated two runs in the 2-6 loss.