LEBANON, Tenn. – Mike Mandarino, Richie Seaton and Nick Sydnor all homered in a six-run third inning and Devin Stovall posted his second straight win on the mound, as Cumberland split a doubleheader against Freed-Hardeman on Thursday at Ernest L. Stockton Field-Woody Hunt Stadium.

The Bulldogs (29-24, 13-10 TranSouth) lost the opener, 7-6, in nine innings, scoring three times in the seventh to send the game to extra innings. In the second game CU scored six times in the third inning to take control and Stovall struck out six in five innings in the 10-4 victory.

Mandarino drove in five runs in the second game, three with his 15th home run of the year in the third inning. Seaton added a two-run homer and Sydnor followed with a solo shot, giving CU an 8-2 advantage in the contest. Cory Urquhart collected three hits, walked and scored twice in the contest and Seaton and Sydnor each posted two hits and Seaton scored twice.

In the first game Antonio Butler registered three hits and Sam Lind and Seaton had two hits apiece. Butler drove in a run with a single in the seventh inning and Urquhart’s grounder plated another, but the tying run came across when FHU second baseman Robert Prieto’s throw to first got away, allowing Chris Del Bianco to score the tying run.

But sacrifice flies from Jake Todd and Kyle Dearing in the ninth inning provided the victory for the Lions (36-18, 16-7). Jesse Hykes hit a three-run homer early in the game for FHU after an error by the Bulldogs and Ben Ihde’s two-run shot in the sixth made it 5-2 Lions before CU tied the contest in the seventh.

Chipper Smith, making his first appearance in three weeks because of an eye infection in the opener, tossed six innings for Cumberland, giving up two earned runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Mitch Rainer (1-1) took the loss, allowing two runs on four hits in three innings.

FHU’s Amos Bingham (2-2) worked five innings of relief for the victory, allowing four runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

In the second game Stovall (3-4) gave up two earned runs on four hits with four walks in five innings. Christian Jennings tossed the final two innings for CU. Daniel Wallace (0-5) allowed eight runs on eight hits in 2.2 innings. He walked two and struck out two.

Cumberland scored twice in the first game of the opener to take an early lead.

With two outs Lind doubled, Mandarino walked and Cody Ferrell was hit. Ben Foster then struck out but the ball got away and Lind scored on the play. Seaton then reached on an infield single, pushing across another run.

In the third Justin Mackey reached on a throwing error by Foster with one out and Prieto singled to left. With two outs Hykes belted a three-run homer to left, giving the Lions a 3-2 edge.

Kirkland Wheeler singled with one out in the FHU sixth and Ihde hit a two-run blast to right with two outs for a 5-2 advantage.

In the CU seventh Seaton led off with a single and pinch-hitter Daniel Harrison walked. Sydnor also walked, loading the bases, before an RBI single from Butler. Urquhart then grounded to third and Evan Mansell got the force at second, but Prieto’s throw was wild, allowing two runs to score and tying the game at five.

In the ninth Pete Trollinger led off with a single and Ihde doubled before sac flies from Todd and Dearing plated both runners.

CU got one run in the bottom of the inning, with pinch-hitter Craig Monson leading off with a double. Butler lined out and Urquhart flied out before an RBI single up the middle from Lind, but Mandarino lined out to end the contest.

In the second game Prieto hit a solo homer in the first inning, the first of three solo shots for the Lions, but CU answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Urquhart singled and Lind doubled before an RBI groundout by Mandarino and a run-scoring single to right from Ferrell for a 2-1 advantage.

Mackey hit a solo homer for FHU in the third, but Cumberland answered with six runs in the bottom of the inning.

Butler led off with a single and stole second before Urquhart walked before a three-run homer to left from Mandarino, his 15th of the season. Ferrell then walked and Seaton followed with a two-run shot to center. Sydnor followed that with a solo blast for an 8-2 Bulldogs lead.

Kirkland Wheeler singled in the fourth, stole second and scored on an error by Urquhart, but again the Bulldogs came back with a run in the bottom of the inning.

Urquhart singled to leadoff but was forced out on a ground ball by Lind, who stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Mandarino’s groundout.

In the fifth Seaton led off with a single and Sydnor doubled before a sacrifice fly from Tyler Wheeler plated CU’s final run.

FHU got a run in the seventh on Prieto’s second homer of the contest.

The two teams finish the series with a 2 p.m. contest on Friday. The Bulldogs will play in the TranSouth Championships starting Monday at Union University in Jackson, Tenn.