The University of Pikeville opened the final AAC series of the regular season by scoring seven runs in the final three trips to the plate to beat Bluefield (Va.) University 10-4 on Thursday afternoon at Johnnie LeMaster Field.
 
The win improved the Bears to 26-17 on the season and, more importantly, 13-12 in the league with two games to play.
 
Bluefield is now 10-33, 1-23 in the conference.
 
UPike jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. It loaded the bases on singles by Easton Mould and Riley Paulino and a walk to Noah Brooks and gained the lead on a sacrifice fly by Garren Gledhill.
 
Paulino scored when Joe Gagnon grounded out while Brooks came home on a wild pitch.
 
It stayed that way until the fifth. Josh Holland tripled to left-center and scored on a wild pitch, followed by a solo homer off the bat of Cody Crafton to cut the lead to 3-2.
 
The Rams took the lead in the sixth when leadoff hitter Jordan Ramsey hit a two-run homer to left to make it 4-3.
 
The Bears rallied for three in the bottom half to regain the lead. Francis Subero opened the inning with a walk and moved to third on a single and an error off the bat of Mould. He scored to tie the game when Paulino singled to right field.
 
Mould came in on a sacrifice fly by Brooks, and Paulino, who moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, scored when Gledhill singled to center to make it 6-4.
 
UPike posted three more in the seventh. Gagnon singled and was safe at second on a fielder's choice by Cole Fowler. Both scored on a triple to right field by Subero to make it 8-4.
 
Subero scored on a sacrifice fly by Mould.
 
In the eighth, Mason Melton doubled to right and came in on Fowler's sacrifice fly.
 
UPike had 10 hits, getting two each from Mould, Paulino and Subero. Brooks, Gledhill, Melton and Fowler each had a hit.
 
Starting pitcher Teague Van Dyke threw the first six innings to get the win, improving to 3-3. Isaac Berry pitched a hitless seventh while Cole Carmichael finished it, allowing no hits over the final two frames.
 
UPike and Bluefield will wrap up the regular season on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader scheduled for a noon first pitch. Senior Day ceremonies will be held after the games.