BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Marco Murillo belted a grand slam in the first inning, and the Tigers never looked back after scoring the first 11 runs of the game en route to a 13-9 victory over University of the Cumberlands on Sunday afternoon at Bowling Green Ballpark.
 
Murillo had a hot bat going 5-for-6 with two home runs and six runs batted in. Bryson Wallet and Matthew Valdez each recorded three hits for the Tigers (35-15), while Wallet also drove in two runs against the Patriots (45-8). Campbellsville plated at least one run in each of the first six innings, but the Tigers were held scoreless over the final three frames.
 
Campbellsville came out swinging with a double from Valdez followed by a single from Tyson Solis. Logan Roberts loaded the bases with no outs after drawing a walk. Murillo then belted a grand slam over the wall in left field to put the Tigers on top, 4-0. Campbellsville's threat was ended abruptly after three-straight groundouts. 
 
In the second inning, Solis scored the Tigers lone run as they took a 5-0 lead after Jalen Horton – who was running for Austin Peterson – came around to score. The offense continued to roll for the Campbellsville with two more runs for the the Tigers off back-to-back sacrifice flies from Wallet and Chris Taitague in the third inning.
 
Murillo's bat was scorching hot with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, to extend the Tiger lead to 9-0. Wallet posted his second RBI of the day with a single up the middle, where Ty Housden scored from second base. The inning ended for Campbellsville after David Montoya tripped up moving to third base and was tagged out in a rundown.
 
The Tiger run ended at 11-straight runs with a RBI fielder's choice from Solis, scoring Taitague and putting Campbellsville ahead, 11-0.
 
Parker Loutensock cruised through the first four innings, but the Cumberlands offense got rolling after plating five runs in the fifth inning. The five runs scored on a two-run home run from J.C. Santos and then a three-run home run from Raudy Martinez. 
 
Despite giving up five runs, the Tiger offense was able to pick up Loutensock in the next half inning with a two-RBI double from Montoya in the sixth inning, where Housden and Murillo scored. 
 
Orley Arellano got one of the those runs back in the bottom of the sixth inning, where he drove in Santos with an infield single.
 
With a 13-6 lead after six innings, Campbellsville was held scoreless for the first time all game after stranding two runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh inning. Cumberlands continued to try and work its way back into the game after an RBI single from Robbie Stroub to make it 13-7. 
 
The only time all game that neither team scored in an inning was the eighth, where the Tigers stranded two more runners on base and the Patriots went down in order.
 
A last attempt at a comeback for the Cumberlands fell just short as they scored two runs on three hits, but Justin Phillips worked out of his jam to wrap up Campbellsville's 13-9 victory.
 
Phillips (2-1) tossed the final four innings allowing three runs on five hits. He also walked two and struck out four. Loutensock got the start and threw 4-2/3 innings allowing five runs and five hits, to go along with three walks and three strikeouts. Brandon Diaz recorded one out via a strikeout, but faced four batters where he walked one, hit one and allowed a hit.
 
Anthony Martinez (6-1) suffered his first loss of the season after giving up seven runs – six earned – on seven hits. Colton Easterwood tossed two innings an allowed six runs and six hits. Manny Castellano stopped the bleeding for the Patriots after throwing four innings allowing just five hits and no runs. 
 
With the victory, the Tigers move onto the championship game of the Mid-South Conference Tournament.
 
Campbellsville will face the winner of Cumberlands and Georgetown College or Cumberland University on Monday. Cumberlands faces the winner of Georgetown and Cumberland later on Sunday night in an elimination game.
 
First pitch of the championship game is set for Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET from Bowling Green Ballpark. 

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