LEBANON, Tenn. – Cody Ferrell’s two-run single capped a seven-run bottom of the ninth inning, as seventh-ranked Cumberland took advantage of an error and another mental mistake to post its first come-from-behind win of the season in a 9-8 victory over Campbellsville University Tuesday at Ernest L. Stockton Field.

The Bulldogs (18-12) trailed the entire game after a home run in the first inning by Gibby Briones and a pair of RBI singles in the third from Chance Kopacz and Rylan Chin for the Tigers (21-5). Campbellsville added four more runs in the top of the ninth, including a three-run homer from Kopacz, to take an 8-2 advantage.

That seemed more than enough for Tigers starter Phillip Gerber, who scattered seven hits and allowed two runs through eight innings. The side-winding righthander got 16 ground ball outs through the first eight innings, but first baseman Brandon Johnson booted a high-hopper off the bat of Nick Sydnor to start the ninth, opening the door for CU.

Tyler Alford singled with one out before perhaps the biggest play of the game, a slow chopper from Richie Seaton that Johnson couldn’t decide what to do with. He started to run to the bag, then hesitated, then flipped to Gerber, but Seaton beat the play at first and a run scored on the play.

Cory Urquhart then singled to right, loading the bases, before a strikeout put the Tigers within one out of the victory. Sam Lind singled home two runs and Mike Mandarino singled through the leftside, past the dives of the shortstop and third baseman, plating another run.

That prompted a pitching change, but Josh McGee greeted reliever Tyler Roberts with a two-run single to center. Sydnor walked, loading the bases again, and Campbellsville brought on Rusty Devitt.

The righthander fell behind 2-0 and 3-1 to Ferrell before the senior laced a single into right. Mandarino scored easily and pinch-runner Ryan Critchelow beat the relay from Kopacz, giving the Bulldogs the 9-8 triumph.

Logan Neal (2-0) pitched well for three innings before running into trouble in the ninth. He got the win, though, giving up four runs on three hits in four innings of work. Ferrell also started the game for CU on the mound, working five innings and allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in five innings.

Roberts (1-2) took the loss, giving up one run on one hit. He and Devitt did not retire any of the three batters they faced.

The Tigers got on the board early with a solo homer with two outs in the first, with Briones belting a hanging curveball over the wall in leftcenter.

Chin reached on an error to start the Campbellsville second inning, went to second on a wild pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Michael Durham for a 2-0 edge for the visitors.

CU got on the board in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-out double from Ferrell and a single by Tyler Wheeler, cutting the deficit in half.

But the Tigers answered with two more runs in the third, starting with a leadoff single from Tanner Nielsen. He went to second on a groundout by Danny Lapchak and scored on a bloop single down the rightfield line from Briones. He stole second and came across on another shallow single, this one to center by Kopacz.

Brodie Ross hit a long solo homer for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the third, making it 4-2 Tigers.

Campbellsville loaded the bases in the fourth on singles from Durham, Trent Seamons and Keaton Neeb, but Ferrell worked out of the jam when Nielsen fouled out and Lapchak grounded sharply into a doubleplay, keeping the deficit at two runs.

Neither team threatened again until the ninth when Neeb drew a leadoff walk and Nielsen tried to sacrifice. The bunt was too hard and back to the mound, but Neal’s throw was high and both runners were safe. Lapchak then placed a perfect bunt down the third base line, loading the bases. Briones plated a run with a sac fly before Kopacz hit a line drive over the wall in rightcenter for his fourth homer of the season.

Cumberland hosts Georgetown College on Wednesday at 2 p.m. and takes on Bethel University this weekend at home in a three-game series starting Friday.