Baseball drops opener to Phoenix

Cumberland jumped out early on Georgetown in Friday's series opener, scoring 8 runs in the 1st 4 innings en route to a 12-6 win.

The Phoenix went to work right away on Georgetown's top starter, Chad Baker. A leadoff double was followed by a hit-by-pitch and walk to immediately load the bases. On the 4th batter, the runner from 3rd scored on a throw back to the mound. A single followed for a 2-0 Phoenix lead. 2 batters later, Cumberland scored on a fielder's choice for a 3-0 lead after 1. Georgetown looked for an answer in the bottom of 1. Elijah Verge led off with a single then stole 2nd. With 1 out, he moved to 3rd on a balk. Aidan Jbara stepped in and lofted a ball to right field. Verge tagged up but the throw home was perfect and beat Verge by a step for an inning-ending 9-2 double play.

Cumberland got to Baker again in the top of the 3rd. A leadoff single and stolen base led to another run-scoring single for a 4-0 lead. Baker then allowed a double and walk to load the bases. Cumberland made it 5-0 on a sacrifice fly. With runners at the corners, the Phoenix went for a double steal. The throw went down to 2nd and allowed the runner from 3rd to scoot home for a 6-0 lead. Baker faced one more batter, allowing his 3rd walk before being lifted for Manuel Meilan.

The 4th inning was the tough one to swallow for Georgetown. Meilan walked the 1st 2 batters he faced and was pulled for Braxton Burse. With 1 out, Burse gave up a sacrifice fly charged to Meilan for a 7-0 CU lead. Burse then walked the next 3 batters to bring another run home. He did induce a 6-4-3 double play, but Cumberland added 2 more to the lead without recording a hit.

To Georgetown's credit, the Tigers came back immediately in the bottom of the inning. Elijah Verge led off with a single and went to 3rd on a single from Payton Rios. Aidan Jbara then singled to short to bring Verge home and get the Tigers on the board. Jose Cazorla then followed with an RBI single of his own to get the Tigers within 8-2. After a wild pitch moved Jbara to 3rd and Cazorla to 2nd, Jarrett Chapman laced a single to left to score Jbara. 2 batters later, Cole Grable lofted a sac fly to center to cap a 4-run inning and cut the deficit in half. The Tigers got another run in the bottom of the 5th thanks to a Payton Rios single that scored Henry Cruz.

Cumberland countered in the top of the 6th off Jared Casebier. An error to start the inning was followed by a long home run to left to give the Phoenix a 10-5 lead. Diondre Jacob answered with a solo bomb of his own in the bottom of the inning to momentarily keep GC within slam range. It was shortlived as Cumberland added a run in the 7th and 8th innings for the 12-6 win.

Georgetown just could not overcome control issues on the mound. 9 walks and 4 hit batters gave Cumberland extra life all day long and the Phoenix took advantage. The teams will play a doubleheader to close the series on Saturday starting at Noon.