LEBANON, Tenn. – Zeke Hunt and Jacob Shirley both pinned their opponents and Michael Gonzalez won by Technical Fall, leading 18th-ranked Cumberland to a 23-16 victory over No. 11 University of the Cumberlands in wrestling action here Tuesday night at the Dallas Floyd Recreation Center.

Hunt, ranked 12th nationally at 174, made quick work of Sean Bateman with a pin at 1:10, while Shirley posted the best win of the night for the Bulldogs with his pin of UC’s sixth-ranked Zack Barkett at 4:15. Those two victories gave the Bulldogs an almost insurmountable 23-5 lead heading into the final three matches.

Cumberland started on a good note, with senior Eddie Ortiz posting a 4-2 Decision over Grant Burkhalter at 125, but UC’s Javier Carbahal registered a 19-3 Technical Fall at 133 over Richard Williams.

CU’s Jake Williams, ranked fifth in the country, gave the Bulldogs the lead for good with his 6-1 Decision at 141 over Calob Perkins, and Gonzalez scored a 17-0 Tech Fall win at 157 versus Jacob Stephens.

The most exciting match of the evening came at 197, where UC’s seventh-ranked Fred Byars took an eary lead on Aric Fernandez, but the CU freshman battled back to knot the score at six in the third period. But Byars escaped and scored again in the final minute for a 9-6 Decision.

Eddie Bernal posted an 18-2 Technical Fall win against David Capers at 184 and 13th-ranked Vince Pezzuto won an 8-2 Decision versus Tyler Smith in the heavyweight class for UC’s other points.

Cumberland heads to the Mustang Open in Conway, Ark., this Saturday.

#18 Cumberland 23, #11 Univ. of the Cumberlands 16

D - Decision
MD - Major Decision
TF - Technical Fall
F - Fall
FOR - Forfeit
MFOR - Medical Forfeit