LEBANON, Tenn. – Stevie Smith tossed seven strong innings, Phil Stiles collected two hits and scored four times and Hector Viera, Ryan Dickison and Tyler Alford each drove in a pair of runs in Cumberland’s 8-2 victory over the University of the Cumberlands in baseball action Sunday in Williamsburg, Ky.

The Bulldogs (5-14, 1-0 Mid-South) and Patriots (8-7, 0-1) conclude the first conference series of the year for both clubs with a doubleheader on Monday beginning at 11 a.m. Central Time.

Smith (2-2) allowed just five hits and two runs with six strikeouts in seven innings, his fourth straight quality start. Even more important, he walked just one and worked around of pair of Bulldog errors.

The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native gave up just two singles through the first four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. Luis Hernandez’s two-out, two-run single cut the Bulldogs lead to 5-2, but Stone Osborne struck out looking to end the inning without any further damage.

Austin Williams got the final six outs for Cumberland, getting out of his own bases loaded jam in the eighth and stranding a pair of runners in the ninth.

The top three batters in the CU lineup – Justin Byrd, Stiles and Viera – accounted for six hits and all eight runs for the Bulldogs in the game. Byrd and Stiles collected a combined five walks, setting the table for Viera, Dickison and Alford to drive them in.

UC starter Kevin Schubert (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings. Lefthander Mathias Brewers did his job in relief for the Patriots, giving up one run on two hits with seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the first inning after Byrd, Stiles and Viera all singled to start the contest. Consecutive sacrifice flies from Dickison and Alford gave Smith a lead before he even took the mound.

In the third Byrd and Stiles both singled with one out before a run-scoring double from Viera. Stiles then scored on a wild pitch and Viera came across on Dickison’s RBI single for a 5-0 advantage.

The Patriots cut into the lead in the fifth after back-to-back singles by Lucas Bagnara and Williams Rogers to start the frame. David Groh’s sacrifice bunt pushed the runners to second and third and Hernandez’s two-run single to center made it a 5-2 contest.

Cumberland got a run back in the sixth when Stiles drew a leadoff walk and with two outs, stole second. He scored on Alford’s bloop single to leftcenter for a 6-2 CU advantage.

The Bulldogs tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth, starting with walks to Byrd and Stiles. The two executed the double steal and Byrd came across on a wild pitch. Viera’s single to left plated the final run of the game.