Lebanon, Tenn. – Shawnee State baseball dropped their final Mid-South Conference game of the season, losing to Cumberland (Tenn.) 13-3 in eight innings.
The Phoenix would get an ideal start, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Kevin Connolly would lead the inning off with a single and steal second. With two outs, Austin Kranjak would drive Connolly in with an RBI double. The two-out rally would continue as Dajion Whitfield would reach on an error by Nick Rose (SO/Olentangy, Ohio) at third base, allowing Kranjak to score. Pinch runner Nick Mira would get to third on a single by Austin Voeller, and would then score on Mitch Langer's double. Cumberland would add another run in the bottom of the third, when Kranjak would hit a solo home run to make the score 4-0.
Shawnee State would get on the board in the top of the fifth inning. JT Boggs (JR/South Shore, Ky.) would hit a solo homer to right field on the first pitch of the inning. After two strikeouts, Christian Helton (SO/Lexington, Ky.) would single up the middle and steal second base. Brandon Reaman (SR/Dayton, Ohio) would then hit a single to center field, with Helton scoring and Reaman reaching third on an error by Rayden Sierra.
Cumberland would respond immediately with eight runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Sierra would make up for his error by singling in Connolly and advancing Hector Morales to second. After Kranjak walked to load the bases, a single Nick Mira and error by Chase Thurber (SO/Andover, Ohio) would allow all three runners to score. Voeller would walk and Kyle Allen would single to again load the bases with one out. Another error by Nick Rose would allow two runners to score, with pinch runner Steven Hollis reaching third. Morales would then double in two more runs to end the inning.
Shawnee State would get another run in the seventh, when a bases loaded wild pitch would allow Blake Marshall (SO/Lexington, Ky.) to score. However, a walk-off home run by Kranjak, his second of the game, would give Cumberland the run rule victory.
Jason Wullenwaber allowed three runs on 10 hits and struck out 13 in 6.2 innings of relief to get the win. Kyle Warner (JR/Elyria, Ohio) allowed seven runs on six hits in four innings to take the loss.
The loss drops Shawnee State's record to 13-32 on the season and 6-12 in the Mid-South Conference. Cumberland improves to 24-27 and 7-11 in the league. Shawnee State's final position in the MSC standings will be determined later today by the result of the Pikeville-Lindsey Wilson game.
Shawnee State will return to action next Tuesday when they are scheduled to play at Point Park (Pa.). First pitch is set for 12:00pm.
