MIDWAY, Ky. -- Following a three-game road swing over the weekend, the Midway baseball team returned home on Tuesday (April 11) when they welcomed Cumberlands (Ky.) to Tracy Farmer – Don Ball Stadium.

The Patriots – who are currently ranked No. 9 in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and never looked back as they plated 20 runs on 18 hits en route to a 20-9 victory.

Following the loss, the Eagles slip to 20-16 on the season, while Cumberlands improves to 34-5 on the year.

After being held scoreless for the opening four frames, the Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs on five hits thanks to a key two-out error. Shane Taylor (Morehead, Ky.) had a one-out single, while Zane Patton (Georgetown, Ky.) reached on a two-out error to keep the inning alive.

Noah Phillips (Greenville, Ky.) then laced an RBI single to left before Grant Hotchkiss (Richmond, Ky.) stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run home run that cleared the right field fence for his second homer of the season.

The Patriots scored two in the top of the seventh and stretched their lead to 18-4, but Midway kept the game going after plating five runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Josh Halterman (Lexington, Ky.) collected an RBI after reaching on a bases loaded walk, while Cameron Nichols (Owensboro, Ky.) deposited a two-run single to right field. Eli Glasscock (Danville, Ky.) then capped the scoring with a two-run single to left field.

Unfortunately for the home team, the Patriots tacked on two more in the top of the eighth to clinch the 20-9 run-rule victory.

On the bump, Josh Plasencia (Orlando, Fla.) was handed the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in his one inning of work. Gus Garrison (Cynthiana, Ky.) tossed 0.2 scoreless innings, while Tyler Pyles (Louisville, Ky.), Matthew Poe (Georgetown, Ky.), and CJ Johnson (Murray, Ky.) each allowed one earned run in their work out of the bullpen.

As a team, the Eagles recorded 10 hits, led by Grant Hotchkiss, who went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs. Eight other Eagles, meanwhile, carded one hit apiece in the loss.

The Eagles are scheduled to return to River States Conference play on Friday when they host Point Park (Pa.) for a doubleheader starting at noon ET at Tracy Farmer – Don Ball Stadium.

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