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LEWISTON, Idaho – Cumberlands (Ky.) built a big lead early, scoring all nine runs in the first two innings of Memorial Day’s first game at the 2025 Avista NAIA World Series, and the Patriots needed all nine, holding off Loyola (La.) 9-8 to advance to another elimination contest Tuesday afternoon at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho.

Ben Rohrbach picked up his second save of the season, coming on for the final out in the eighth inning before sitting all three Loyola batters in the ninth – a line drive, a fly ball, and a five-pitch strikeout – preserving the Patriots’ 50th win of the 2025 season. UC improved to 50-11.

Charlie Muniz and Pedro Vasquez homered for Cumberlands in the win, as UC built a 9-0 lead early in the game, adding a 3-for-5 plate outing from Alec Gonzalez. For Loyola, Garrett Felix was 3-for-5, with three RBIs.

After a quiet start to the Series, Muniz hit his 35th home run of the season in the first inning, a two-run homer that was part of a four-run frame. Cumberlands posted five more in the second, including a no-doubt grand slam off the bat of Vasquez, stretching the lead to nine.

Loyola got three back in the third, as Felix singled and Cole Romero drew a bases-loaded walk, and Romero led off the sixth with a triple off the wall in center. He came home later in the inning, making it 9-4 on Jaxon Buratt’s ground-ball out to the second baseman.

Two more Loyola runs came home to start the eighth on singles by Felix and Landon Manson, and Anthony Fernandez made it a four-run inning by doubling past a diving Christan Thompson in left center. The ball got to the wall, scoring both Manson and Felix, trimming the Cumberlands lead to 9-8.

Loyola ends 2025 at 42-18, while Cumberlands advances to Tuesday to meet the losing team from Game 10, between Hope International (Calif.) and LSU Shreveport (La.)  on the NAIA Network and Urban Edge Network at www.naia.org/watch.