LEBANON, Tenn. -- Mid-South Conference play is here, and for the University of Pikeville baseball team, it was a slow start as it dropped both games of a Saturday doubleheader at Cumberland. The Bears fell 11-5 in the opener before hanging closer at 6-4 in game two.

Cumberland is now 18-7 with the sweep, while the Bears drop to 14-11. The teams will wrap up the series with a single game starting at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.

GAME ONE - Cumberland 11, UPIKE 5

UPIKE had a lead as late at 5-4 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, but it was in that frame that the Phoenix scored four runs on a home run, two singles and a double to take control for good.

Max Hall had entered the fourth with six strikeouts and just two hits allowed, but the offensive explosion from Cumberland came quickly as it tallied four runs on five hits, including a two-run blast by Rayden Sierra to get things started.

Trailing 8-5 after reliever Chase Robinson got the Bears out of the fourth inning, they ended up not scoring again. Cumberland, however, ended up scoring three more runs, including two in the seventh and one more in the eighth to get to the final margin.

There were plenty of fireworks early as there were three lead changes and two home runs hit by the Phoenix in the first four frames. UPIKE trailed 1-0 through one, but went ahead with three runs in the second on RBI hits by Luke Lubiniecki, Luke Hartlage and Travis Haen.

UPIKE and Cumberland traded runs in the third as Jorge Perez hit an RBI double to put Pikeville up 4-1, followed by a solo home run by Jared Schmidt to make it 4-2.

Alec Barba's RBI single with two strikes pushed UPIKE ahead by three again in the fourth, but the big frame by the Phoenix was looming just around the corner.

Despite the hot start, Hall ended up taking the loss as he ended up allowing seven runs on six hits with six batters struck out. Thomas Galart went seven innings to grab the win, scattering 11 hits for five runs with four strikeouts.

Nelson Muniz led UPIKE at the plate with three hits and Barbe and Haen both finished with two hits each.

GAME TWO - Cumberland 6, UPIKE 4

UPIKE outhit the Phoenix 7-5 in the nightcap, but a two-run shot by Mykel Gordon as part of a four-run third inning proved too much to overcome in the 6-4 loss.

Trailing 6-1 in the final inning, the Bears tried to rally with Daniel Sterenberg drawing a bases-loaded walk and Lucas Bault hitting a two-run single to center, but those plays came with two outs, leading to the effort ending on a Haen strikeout.

The comeback did force closer Jackson White out of the game as he allowed the three late runs and needed a reliever himself in the form of Blake Young who ended up tallying a save. Dalton Dahley lasted 4 2/3 with six runs allowed on five hits with two strikeouts and five walks to be given the loss.

Starter Polo Portela ended up taking the win with a run allowed on six hits and three walks with seven batters struck out.

Barba wasted no time putting the Bears up 1-0 in the first inning with a one-out solo shot to right field, but that ended up being it for offense until the final frame. Even with the comeback effort, Barba's blast was the only extra-base hit for UPIKE in the game.

Cumberland ended up with a double and Gordon's home run as its extra-base knocks, although it was mistakes that added the insurance runs in the fourth and fifth innings as both scored on wild pitches to make it 6-1.

A hit batter and three walks, including one with two outs, scored UPIKE's first run in the seventh before Bault's single to center was deep enough to score two more. But with runners on first and second, Haen struck out at the end of a quality six-pitch at bat.

Barba paced UPIKE, going 2-for-3 at the dish and Muniz collected two walks and stole a base. No one had more than one hit for the Phoenix as Gordon drove in the two runs and Jordan Hunt added a double.   

-UPIKE-