Fomasi pitches Dawgs into winner's final

JACKSON — Anthony Fomasi, normally not a weekend starter, turned in a top-three-in-the-rotation performance Wednesday night as Cumberland moved into the winner's bracket final of the TranSouth Conference tournament with a 3-0 win over Bethel at Union's Fesmire Field.
The junior left-hander, who made a couple of TSC starts early in the conference season, surrendered three hits and two walks while striking out nine in six innings to improve to 5-1. After Aaron Tant turned in his second straight impressive relief outing [two hitless innings with three punchouts], senior Adam Tomlinson of Friendship Christian struck out the side in the ninth for his fifth save.
Cumberland, which climbed a notch to No. 17 in the latest NAIA poll released Wednesday, will carry a 39-17-1 record into tonight's 7 p.m. winner's bracket final against No. 8 Crichton, which shoved No. 5 Lyon into the loser's bracket with a 6-3 win earlier in the day.
Jason Bush had both Cumberland RBI. The first came on a second-inning single down the right-field line to score Preston Potter, courtesy running for catcher Luis Martinez [who had singled]. Jeremy Wilson, who singled between Martinez and Bush, scored on a wild throw for a 2-0 lead.
Wilson singled to lead off the fourth and scored on Bush's double to deep right-center.
Martinez, Wilson and Bush had two hits each off Drew Hayes, who surrendered eight hits while striking out eight in going the distance for Bethel. Hayes fell to 4-4 while the Wildcats slipped to 33-17 going into today's noon elimination game against top-seed Treveccca, which climbed a spot in the NAIA poll to No. 7. The Trojans stayed alive with an 11-5 elimination of Martin Methodist.
In the other half of the loser's bracket, Union shut out Freed-Hardeman 3-0 to set up today's 3:30 p.m. elimination game with Lyon.
Checking out other Wilson County players
Lebanon's Justin Forrest closed out his college career with an 0-for-4 outing for Freed-Hardeman. Junior Kyle Kegley of Friendship Christian went hitless in two trips to the plate for the Lions.
Wilson Central's Bobby Hoban, starting on the mound for Martin Methodist, gave up seven runs in the third inning against Trevecca and was forced out of the game. The right-hander finished his freshman season with a 3-2 record. Second baseman Taylor Bates of Mt. Juliet went 1-for-4 and scored a run for the RedHawks.