Union (Ky.) Baseball Defeats Cumberland (Tenn.) 4-1 in South Central Super Regional

	Union (Ky.) is sliding in to its 1st ever World Series after a 2-1 series win over Cumberland (Tenn.)

May 16, 2008

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LEBANON, Tenn. - Union (Ky.) College punched its ticket to the Avista-NAIA World Series as it won the NAIA South Central Super Regional, defeating host Cumberland (Tenn.) University 4-1 Friday (May 16) to the best-of-three series two games to one.

The victory sends Union to its first-ever NAIA World Series and is only the third school from Kentucky to ever advance that far, joining Georgetown (Ky.) College and Spalding (Ky.) University in that category.

The Avista-NAIA World Series will be held in Lewiston, Idaho, May 23-30. Pairings will be announced Sunday.

Union (47-16 overall) collected the victory and World Series berth by playing small ball and taking advantage of a pair of Cumberland (46-21 overall) errors. Union didn't necessarily hit the ball hard but rather in the right spots. Also, Union burned up the base paths, stealing four bases - three in the first inning alone.

David Fairbanks (Cincinnati, Ohio) was the offensive star as he had to fill in as the lead-off hitter as Kenny Kysar (Corbin, Ky.) was scratched after being injured in Thursday's game. Fairbanks went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.

For the super regional, Fairbanks batted .556 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Union struck first as Fairbanks led off the bottom of the first by reaching on an error. After stealing second and third, Fairbanks strolled home thanks to a Justin Hart (Lake Mary, Fla.) sac fly.

In the top of the second, Zack Diekmann led off with a double to left center and later scored when Tyler Fisher lined a double, tying the score at 1-1.

Lioney Henriquez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) put Union back on top in the bottom off the fifth as he lofted a two-out single to center, allowing Fairbanks to score easily from second.

Union added an insurance run in the seventh when pinch-runner Tyler Martin (Corbin, Ky.) scored off of a Dustin Thrasher (Somerset, Ky.) sac fly, making it a 3-1 contest. It appeared that Union might add even more runs as it loaded the bases with two outs, but second baseman James Lilley made a nice leaping catch to save a couple runs on a Joe Grinstead (Bowling Green, Ky.) line drive to end the threat.

In the eighth, Brett McAlpin (Winchester, Ky.) lined a two-out double to left center to drive in a run for a 4-1 cushion.