LEBANON, Tenn. – Second baseman Dominic Decarlo had five hits, drove in two and scored a run as the University of Pikeville opened the 2026 season with a split of a doubleheader at Cumberland University on Friday.
 
The Phoenix, who received votes in the preseason NAIA poll, won the opener 7-3 before the Bears bounced back to take the nightcap 7-2.
 
The teams will wrap up their respective opening weekends with a doubleheader on Saturday. It is scheduled for a noon start.
 
Phoenix 7, Bears 3: The season got off to a rough start for the Bears, as Cumberland scored five times in the bottom of the first inning and once more in the second to jump out to a big lead.
 
The Bears got on the scoreboard in the seventh when centerfielder Dominic Decarlo laced a double down the right field line to score Mason Melton and Joe Gagnon. Gagnon led off with a walk and moved into scoring position when Melton singled to center.
 
In the seventh, right fielder Riley Paulino hit a solo home run to finish the scoring.
 
Decarlo had three of UPike's seven hits in the loss. Left fielder Noah Brooks and designated hitter Garren Gledhill added hits.
 
Cumberland pounded 13 hits, 10 of them singles.
 
Bears 7, Phoenix 2: UPike jumped out to a four-run lead in the top of the second and then added three in the sixth to pick up the season's first win.
 
Melton opened the second with an infield hit, followed by a Paulino walk. Gledhill got the Bears on the scoreboard when he delivered Melton with a single to left. Second baseman Easton Mould singled to right field to score Paulino and courtesy runner Connor Moody to make the score 3-0.
 
Mould scored when Brooks reached on an error to make it 4-0.
 
The Phoenix scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to get back in it before a three-run sixth gave the Bears a cushion.
 
The inning opened with Gavin Fraser reaching on an error. Decarlo singled and both advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Mould.
 
The action paid off when Subero singled up the middle to score both runners. Subero scored on a sacrifice fly by Melton to make the score 7-2.
 
UPike had nine hits in the win, all of them singles. Decarlo and Subero had two each.
 
Four pitchers combined for eight strikeouts in the win. Starter Shaye McTavish picked up the win, striking out six while allowing two earned runs on five hits over the first four.