WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. -- With the help of two five-run showings in the third and fourth innings, Cumberlands was able to outlast the University of Pikeville baseball team 14-10 on Friday night, giving it a 3-0 series win over the Bears in both team's Mid-South Conference openers.

UPIKE (13-8, 0-3 MSC) led 3-1 through two, but then the Patriots racked up 10 runs in the next two innings combined. Down 11-3, the Bears rallied back with six runs over the fifth and sixth innings, but they were never able to fully comeback from the early offensive onslaught.

Heading into the bottom of the sixth down 11-9 was as close as it got before Cumberlands (16-6, 3-0 MSC) added two runs in the frame and another in the seventh to go back up by five at 14-9. The Bears scored one last run on a Matt Peterson groundout in the top of the ninth, but the next two batters struck out and ground out to end the game.

Even though the Patriots early runs stopped a complete comeback, the top of the sixth had its exciting moments, none more so than Brandon Sewell's three-run home run. Jay Vincent and Jorge Perez had led off with singles, then Sewell suddenly made it just a two-run game with his first home run of the season,

Josh Bailey, Justin Beatty, Anthony Roberts, Vincent and Perez all finished with two hits each as UPIKE was only outhit 17-13 overall. But Cumberlands played error free and the Bears committed a pair to help make the difference.

Aaron Hedgecock took his first loss of the season to drop to 4-1 after allowing six runs on eight hits in three innings, while Zach Hurley took the win even after allowing eight runs on nine hits in five innings of work.

UP NEXT

UPIKE returns to the diamond at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, hosting No. 14 Campbellsville at Johnnie LeMaster Field.  

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