BOWLING GREEN, Ky.--Cumberland Baseball exploded for 13 runs on 11 hits to overpower Freed-Hardeman 13-5 on Wednesday night in the Mid-South Conference Tournament winner's bracket. With the victory, the Phoenix move on to face top-seeded Cumberlands Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. for a spot in the MSC title game.

Trenton Duchsherer led the offensive surge with five RBIs, highlighted by a three-run homer in the seventh that broke the game wide open. The senior catcher also added an RBI double and a sacrifice fly. Javy Beal stayed hot at the plate with a 3-for-5 performance, driving in a run and scoring twice, including an RBI double in the sixth and another in a five-run seventh.

Wilser Then scored three runs, reached base four times, and added an RBI single. Dylan LaRue doubled and knocked in two, while Hunter Moser contributed two hits and two RBIs.

Cumberland finished with 11 hits and 13 runs, drawing eight walks and reaching base via five hit-by-pitches. The bottom three in the lineup– LaRue, Duchsherer, and Beal–combined to go 6-for-11 scoring five runs and driving in eight.

On the mound, Jake Green (6-1) earned the win in relief, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and just two hits allowed without allowing a run. Starter Justin Goldstein worked the first 4.2 innings, striking out six. He gave up six hits and allowed five runs to score, all earned. 

Cumberland struck first in the second inning, plating two runs. Then and Toshiki Kuriya worked back-to-back walks before Gaines Haussin singled up the middle to load the bases. LaRue delivered a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Then, and Duchsherer followed with another sac fly to left to score Kuriya and make it 2-0 Phoenix.

Cumberland added two more in the fourth. LaRue was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on a two-out RBI double from Duchsherer, who then gave way to courtesy runner Ty Martin. Beal followed with an RBI single to right-center, stretching the lead to 4-0.

Freed-Hardeman stormed back in the bottom of the fourth. After a leadoff double and a walk, JJ Pruneau hit a two-run double down the right-field line and later scored on a single by Cam Madding to cut Cumberland's lead to 4-3.

The Phoenix responded quickly in the fifth. A hit-by-pitch, wild pitch, and sac bunt set up a scoring chance that Then capitalized on with an RBI single. Cumberland then capitalized on a miscue from Freed-Hardeman. Welchel advanced to third on a dirt ball read and Freed-Hardeman's catcher threw the ball into left field allowing both Welchel and Then to score all the way from first, extending the lead to 7-3. 

Freed-Hardeman again tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Pruneau singled and was replaced by pinch runner Ben Turner, who scored alongside Jordan Carter on a two-run double by Madding to make it 7-5.

From there, Cumberland shut the door. Jake Green came on in relief and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, holding the Lions in check the rest of the way.

Cumberland padded its lead with a run in the sixth. Beal led off with a ground-rule double and scored on an RBI single by Moser.

In the seventh, the Phoenix blew the game wide open. Then walked, Haussin followed with a free pass, and LaRue crushed an RBI double to center. That set the table for Duchsherer, who hammered a no-doubt three-run homer to left to make it 12-5. Beal doubled again and was brought home by Moser's RBI single to cap a five-run inning.

The Phoenix put runners on first and second in the eighth but couldn't add to the lead. Still, Green stayed sharp, allowing only two hits while recording the final 13 outs to secure the win.

Cumberland improves to 35-15-1 on the season and will face the Patriots of Cumberlands Friday morning with a berth in the championship game on the line.