LEBANON, Tenn. – Ryan Dickison went 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs in the first game while Hector Viera added four hits and three RBIs and Justin Byrd posted four RBIs and three runs scored in Cumberland’s doubleheader sweep, 12-3 and 7-5, over the University of Pikeville in baseball action Thursday in Pikeville, Ky.

The Bulldogs (12-21, 6-5 Mid-South) and Bears (12-18, 0-11) conclude the series Friday at 11 a.m. Central Time, weather permitting.

Dickison drove in a run with a single in the first inning, hit a solo homer to leadoff the fourth and added a two-run shot in the seventh when Cumberland broke the first game open with a six-run inning He registered two more hits with a run scored in the second contest.

The top five hitters in the Bulldogs lineup – Phil Stiles, Viera, Byrd, Tyler Alford and Dickison – combined for 17 of the club’s 24 hits in the doubleheader along with 13 of the 19 runs scored and 14 of the 17 RBIs.

CU used a four-run fourth inning to take control of the second contest and then held on when Pikeville scored twice in the seventh and got the tying run to the plate, but Curtis Hoppe got a strikeout and a lineout to end the game and pick up the save.

Stevie Smith (3-3) tossed eight effective innings in the opener to get the victory, allowing one earned run on six hits. He walked three and struck out five. Austin Williams gave up one run on a hit in getting the final three outs.

UPike starter Josh Bailey (1-4) allowed two one run on four hits between the second and sixth innings after giving up two runs in the first to CU. He exited in the seventh, allowing six runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

In the second game Jake Collier (3-4) gave up just three runs on five hits through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. He walked four and struck out eight before giving way to Hoppe, who posted his second save of the year.

Bears starter James Brooks (2-5) last just 3.1 innings, allowing seven runs on six hits to take the loss.

The Bulldogs started the opening game quickly with a pair of runs on three hits in the top of the first.

Viera doubled with one out before an RBI single from Byrd, who went to second on a groundout, third on a balk and scored on Dickison’s two-out single to left.

Dickison’s solo home run to leadoff the fourth gave CU a 3-0 edge.

Pikeville pulled within one thanks to a pair of runs on one hit and three Bulldog errors in the sixth.

Jacob DiThomas led off the frame with a walk and moved to second on a wild throw back to the infield from Dickison after a flyout. Bailey’s single to right scored DiThomas and Bailey made it to third on another wild throw, this one to the plate, by Dickison. A groundout from Nicolas Gonzales plated the run for the Bears.

Cumberland answered with six runs on five hits in the seventh, starting with a one-out walk to Stiles, who went to second on a failed pickoff attempt by Bailey. Viera then doubled to center, scoring Stiles, and Byrd followed with his own two-bagger, plating Viera. Alford doubled to left against reliever Bryce Carden before Dickison’s two-run homer.

Ryan Simmons drew a free pass and Jonathan Larson was hit before a single by Conor Dishman loaded the bases. A wild pitch allowed the final run of the inning to cross for a 9-2 Bulldog lead.

Byrd reached on an error, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Alford’s single to leftcenter in the eighth for CU, which added two more runs in the ninth.

Dishman led off the inning with a walk and Stiles tripled to leftcenter with one out, driving in a run. Pinch-hitter Richard Carter’s groundout scored Stiles with CU’s final run of the game.

Zach Nothwehr was hit to start the bottom of the ninth for Pikeville and Scottie Whitaker reached on an error with one out. DiThomas grounded out to score Patrick Schloss for the Bears.

Cumberland scored twice in the second and third innings to take the lead in the second game.

Alford and Dickison started the second with singles and Simmons’ bunt was thrown away by Brooks, allowing Alford to score and Dickison to reach third. The second run came across on a balk and Simmons later tried to score on a flyout by Kyle Allen, but he was called out at the plate, which led to a lengthy argument and eventual ejection of CU skipper Woody Hunt.

Jarrett Plunkett singled and Stiles walk to leadoff the third for the Bulldogs. Viera grounded into a fielder’s choice, but Plunkett scored when the throw from Schloss got away. Viera ended up at the third on the play and scored on the first of two sacrifice flies by Byrd.

In the fourth Simmons walked and Larson followed with an RBI double to start the inning. Plunkett was hit with one out and Stiles then doubled to left, scoring one run. Viera’s infield single loaded the bases and Byrd plated the final run of the game for the Bulldogs with another sacrifice fly.

The Bears answered in the bottom of the frame against Collier, with Cody Chagnon drawing a leadoff walk. A groundout moved the runner to second and Connor Osborne’s single to right scored pinch-runner Scott Whitaker.

Nothwehr followed with a single and Osborne stole third before an RBI single to center by Schloss. DiThomas also had an RBI single later in the frame, cutting the CU advantage to 7-3.

Collier set down seven straight before hitting DiThomas to begin the seventh. Bailey had a pinch-hit single with one out for Pikeville, with DiThomas advancing to third and Bailey taking second on the throw. Gonzales then doubled to left, plating both runners and ended the day for Collier.

Hoppe struck out Chagnon looking and Erik Manning lined out to center to end the contest.