LEBANON, Tenn. – Nick Sydnor hit a two-run homer and Christian Jennings tossed 3.2 innings of relief to pick up the victory, as seventh-ranked Cumberland salvaged a split with a 6-4 victory over 15th-ranked Missouri Baptist on Wednesday at Ernest L. Stockton Field-Woody Hunt Stadium.

Sam Lind collected two hits and Sydnor scored twice, as Cumberland (16-10) scored four times in the sixth to erase a three-run deficit before Sydnor’s two-run blast in the seventh provided the final margin of victory.

Jennings (1-0) worked 3.1 scoreless frames before allowing a run in the ninth, but the lefthander struck out four and gave up two hits for the victory. Jesse Coe walked a batter but got the final out of the game for the save.

Kyle Turner hit a solo homer for the Spartans (12-9) and Yeriel Nieves drove in two runs with a single, both in the top of the sixth, to give the visitors a 3-0 edge. But CU used a walk, an error and two hit batsmen to plate four runs in the bottom of the inning and take the lead for good.

Neither team mustered much offense until the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out in the fourth after Cory Urquhart walked, Lind doubled off the base of the centerfield wall and Mike Mandarino walked, but Tyler Wheeler popped out and Sydnor struck out to end the threat.

The Spartans broke through against CU starter Cody Ferrell in the sixth, with Turner hitting a solo homer to right to leadoff before Ferrell walked the bases full with free passes to Kyle Hardy, Carlos Ruiz and Harjung. Nieves singled off the end of the bat into short leftcenter, plating two runs, but Jennings came on to retire the side with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.

Cumberland used an error, a walk and two hit batsmen to score four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Josh McGee singled to leadoff, Mandarino was hit and Ryan Barban dropped a pop fly in short rightfield off the bat of Wheeler, loading the bases. One run scored on a balk before a walk to Sydnor loaded the bases again. Brodie Ross dumped a single into short center, scoring a run, but Richie Seaton and Chris Del Bianco both struck out.

Urquhart then grounded to short, but Patrick Johnson had trouble getting the ball out of his glove and Ross was hustling all the way and beat the throw to second, allowing pinch-runner Antonio Butler to score the tying run. Lind was then hit, forcing in another run for a 4-3 CU edge.

The Bulldogs added two more runs in the seventh after Mandarino doubled to leadoff the inning. With two outs Sydnor drove a high fly ball over the wall in right for his third home run of the season and a 6-3 advantage.

Johnson tripled past a diving Ryan Critchelow and scored on a sacrifice fly from Barban, but that was all for the Spartans.

Ferrell gave up three runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts in five-plus innings. MBU reliever Chris Walker (3-2) allowed four runs, two earned, on two hits with three walks in one-plus inning of work.

Cumberland travels to Pulaski this weekend for a three-game series this weekend starting Friday at 6 p.m. at Sam Davis Park.