The No. 5 seeded Park University baseball program met their match against the high-powered Patriots of No. 1 seeded University of Cumberlands (Ky.) on Monday, falling in their second game of the Williamsburg Bracket Opening Round 25-0.

Park is now 36-18 on the season, while the No. 3 nationally ranked Patriots tie their single-season wins record at 49-6. Cumberlands is the host of the Williamsburg Bracket and emerged in 2023 as the Williamsburg Bracket NAIA Opening Round Champion to advance to Lewiston, Idaho for the 2023 NAIA World Series for the first time in school history.

The Pirates were shutout for just the second time this season, while Cumberlands tied their season-high in runs and home runs in a game in 2024.

Cumberlands had six home runs in the game, with three coming from Charlie Muniz. Muniz now has 34 home runs, contributing to the 131 home runs for Cumberlands on the season.

Park got started in the top of the first, much like their previous opening round matchup with University of Saint Francis (Ind.), as the combination of Alex Rodriguez and Billy Rivera both produced singles to begin the games.

The Patriots escaped from the first inning, stranding Rodriguez and Rivera after three consecutive outs.
Cumberlands got to the lead in the bottom of the first with a solo home run from Muniz and Guillermo Gelpi retired the remaining three Patriots in the inning.

Gelpi would allow two more runs in the second inning and another wave of early trouble in the third inning ended his day with two-plus innings pitched. Kyler Barnett would come in to get three outs in the third inning, but not before nine runs came across to score in the third on five hits and five walks between Gelpi and Barnett.

The Pirates looked to respond in the top of the fourth with three consecutive singles to knock on the door, but three strikeouts in a row prevented a run from scoring, as Park trailed 12-0.

Four more runs would score in the bottom of the fourth inning on Sebastian Del Olmo, but like Gelpi, Del Olmo would also strikeout two batters in his inning.

Michael Hoffman in the bottom of the fifth threw the only shutout inning of the game for Park, which came together on an inning-ending double-play, third base to second and then getting the runner at first.

The deficit was still 16-0, going to the top of the sixth and the undefeated Cumberlands starter Knicko Billings moved to 9-0 on the season with six scoreless innings and eight strikeouts.

Nine more runs came in to score in the sixth, seventh, and eight innings for the Patriots to arrive at the 25-0 final.

Yadiel Santana was three-for-three in the game, while seven other Pirates got hits to arrive 10 hits on he game.

Dalton Short had the only double in the game for Park, while the Patriots had 14 extra base-hits.

Mason Sipes and Dash Goldston would each toss innings to finish off the game.

Park will now wait to see who their opponent is for a 3pm (CT) elimination game, facing the winner of No. 2 Bellevue University (Neb.) and No. 4 Saint Francis. WATCH
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