WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. — Coach Beauford Sanders said before tonight's doubleheader at the University of the Cumberlands that if his Tigers pulled out two wins tonight and set themselves up for another Mid-South Conference regular season championship, it would be one of the biggest feats in his tenure at Campbellsville. Well that would be saying a lot since the coach has won over 1,100 games and seven regular season titles. But the Tigers did just that with an 8-3 and 6-0 victory over the 20th-ranked Patriots tonight to steal all the momentum from Cumberlands.
 
Both Nick Przybylek (6-3) and Indalecio Romo (3-1) kept Cumberlands (36-13, 12-5 MSC) off balance all night tossing a pair of complete games. Przybylek allowed six hits, three runs and struck out nine batters in his 125-pitch performance. Romo allowed only four hits and struck out three with his first complete-game shutout of the year.
 
At the plate, it was the long ball and two-out runs that propelled CU (28-16, 12-5 MSC) within a tie for first-place in the standings. The Tigers hit two home runs in game one – Brett Hamilton and Romello Carbuccia – and it was Clay Valenzuela-Reece's two-run bomb in game two to uncork a scoreless tie in the third.
 
Hunter Christensen led CU with a pair of hits in game one, while Hamilton went 1-for-3 with three RBI. Carbuccia, David Montoya and Diego Reynoso all had two hits in game two with Carbuccia and Valenzuela-Reece driving in two runs.
 
Game three of the series will be winner take all for the MSC regular season title on Friday. A game time has not been decided yet because potential thunderstorms entering the southern Kentucky area overnight and throughout the day tomorrow. A decision will be made at 8 a.m. ET on Friday morning.
 
Game one: Campbellsville 8, Cumberlands 3
 
Cumberlands took a 1-0 lead after a solo home run by Kevin Pantoja in the third inning but the Tigers answered right back with five in the fourth.
 
A one-out walk to Carbuccia started the rally, while Carlos Garmendia scored him with double to deep right field. The very next pitch, Brett Hamilton turned on a fast ball and delivered a missile over the left field fence to put CU ahead, 3-1.
 
After the second out, Diego Reynoso picked up a two-out double and Riley Joyce walked to put runners on first and second before David Montoya cleared the bases with a triple to the wall in right-center field to put CU ahead, 5-1.
 
After a solo homer by Carbuccia in the fifth, CU put up a total of six runs against Cumberlands ace Noah Gapp (9-3) – the most he has surrendered all year. He was chased after seven innings but Brantley Bray was unable to get out of the eighth without giving up a run. He and Hampton Clay both allowed single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to give the Tigers breathing room.
 
Game two: Campbellsville 6, Cumberlands 0
 
It was Valenzuela-Reece's two-out two-run home run in the third inning to spark the Tigers for all the runs they would need. In the fifth, Reynoso singled and his pinch runner, Jose Castro, stole second base to put a runner in scoring position with one out. Montoya drove him in with an RBI single and he came around to score on a Carbuccia double down the left field line. A balk by reliever Nicholas Purpera scored a third run to put CU ahead, 5-0.
 
In the seventh, CU added an insurance run after a leadoff walk. Montoya stole second and he came around to score on another Carbuccia base knock.
 
Manny Castellano (6-3) lasted only 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and five runs. Purpera and Brian Way also saw action in the last two innings, allowing the one run off the balk.