LEBANON, Tenn. – Talladega College scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to win the opener, 7-6, but Kyle Allen drove in a pair of runs and Hector Viera posted two hits and two runs scored in a 5-4 victory in the second game for Cumberland and a doubleheader split on Tuesday in Talladega, Ala.

Ryan Simmons and Ryan Dickison each drove in runs for the Phoenix (11-6) while Sam Eichler tossed four-plus innings to get the win in his Cumberland debut. The lefthander allowed three earned runs on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

Caleb Pitts and Sean Cruz worked the final three shutout frames, with Cruz picking up the save by getting four outs. He walked one and struck out two for his second save of the year, picking off a runner to end the sixth after entering the contest and stranding the tying run at second in the seventh.

Cumberland did not take advantage of seven walks issued by Talladega (12-8) in the contest, stranding nine and managing just six hits.

Gabe Lares posted two hits and three RBIs and Cumberland scored six times in the final three innings but couldn’t hold the lead, giving up two runs in the bottom of the seventh in a 7-6 loss in the opener.

The Tornadoes struck for two runs in the third to take an early lead, with Jose Gomez drawing a leadoff walk against CU starter Mitch Langer and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jean Marmol. Gomez took third on a wild pitch and Luis Alvarado then walked and stole second. Both runners came across on a Jesus Zapata double to right.

Talladega added three more runs in the fourth, chasing Langer from the contest.

Anthony Ruiz led off with a double and Gomez’s bunt single put runners on the corners, ending the day on the mound for Langer. Alavarado’s double to right plated two runs and two batters later Enmanuel Lopez doubled to rightcenter, scoring Alvarado for a 5-0 Tornadoes advantage.

Cumberland finally broke through in the fifth, with Mike Melendez leading off with a single to center. Dickison was hit and Josh Croft followed with an RBI double to rightcenter. Viera’s groundout scored Dickison and with two outs, Allen doubled to center, plating Croft. Lares then singled to center, scoring pinch-runner Taylor Dorsey, cutting the deficit to 5-4.

The Phoenix took the lead with two runs in the seventh, with Viera hit by the pitch with one out to start the rally. Langer then walked and with two outs, Lares doubled down the rightfield line, scoring Viera and pinch-runner Daijon Whitfield for a 6-5 CU advantage.

Parker Cash tossed three innings of relief and was in line for the win, allowing two runs on four hits, but the lefthander allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh to Lopez. Melendez (2-2) came on to finish the game, but he walked Gabriel Matias and pinch-hitter Gustavo Castellano to load the bases.

Victor Negron was then hit by the pitch, forcing in a run, and the Tornadoes walked off with the 7-6 victory after a ground ball from Ruiz was thrown away at the plate by second baseman Viera.

Negron (1-0) picked up the win for Talladega with two innings of relief, allowing two runs on one hit. Tornadoes starter Kyle Chavez worked five innings, giving up four runs on five hits.

Talladega got a run in the first inning of the second game thanks to a one-out single by Alvarado followed by a double from Zapata. Alvarado was thrown out at the plate on the play, but Nick McGrew’s fielding error on a ground ball by Lopez allowed Zapata to score.

Cumberland took the lead for good in the second when Richard Carter drew a leadoff walk and Viera single to rightcenter. Simmons’ sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third and Allen followed with a two-run double to rightcenter for a 2-1 edge.

Matias singled to center and Negron walked for the Tornadoes in the bottom of the inning. Gomez then singled to right, loading the bases, and Marmol followed with an RBI single to right, knotting the game at two. Eichler got out of the inning with a 6-4-3 doubleplay to keep the score tied.

In the third Melendez walked with one out and scored on Dickison’s double to leftcenter. Talladega pitcher Johnny Garcia’s throwing error allowed Dickison to score later in the inning for a 4-2 advantage.

Ruiz’s leadoff homer to leftcenter in the fourth pulled Talladega within 4-3, but the Phoenix added a run in the fifth as well. Viera led off with a triple and Simmons followed with an RBI single to left.

Alvarado walked to start the Tornadoes’ bottom of the fifth, ending the day for Eichler. Alvarado moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a groundout by Zapata. Lopez was hit and got in a rundown with runners on the corners. He was tagged out by Alvarado scored on the play, pulling the home team within 5-4.

Pitts got the first two batters out in the sixth before giving up singles to Negron and Gomez and walking Marmol to load the bases. Cruz entered and picked off at second to end the inning with Cumberland holding the one-run lead.

In the seventh Alvarado walked and went to second on Zapata’s sac bunt, but Lopez and Castellano both struck out swinging to end the contest.

Cumberland hosts Culver-Stockton this weekend in a three-game series, with a doubleheader set for Friday at Noon and a single game on Saturday, also at Noon.