LEBANON, Tenn. – Cumberland scored 10 runs in its final two at-bats to overcome an early deficit and win the second game, 11-8 over Shawnee State, splitting the doubleheader with the Bears on an overcast and wet Friday afternoon at Ernest L. Stockton Field-Woody Hunt Stadium.

The Phoenix (14-11, 1-1 Mid-South) and Bears finish the series Saturday with a 10 a.m. start, trying to beat the weather for the second straight day.

Cumberland lost the opener 7-3 and trailed 5-0 in the second game before scoring six runs in sixth, including a two-run homer by Mitch Langer and a two-run single from Kyle Allen. The Bears (9-13, 1-1) answered with three runs in the sixth on Conner Wilson’s second homer of the day, a bullet over the trees in leftfield for an 8-7 SSU advantage.

The Phoenix came back with four runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to three walks, a hit batter and three wild pitches. Bo Saunders scored the tying run on a wild pitch and Jarrett Plunkett’s bunt single, his third hit of the game and second by way of the bunt, plated the go-ahead run.

Taylor Dorsey scored later in the inning on a wild pitch and Nick McGrew was hit, forcing in the final run of the game.

Mike Melendez (3-3) picked up the win for Cumberland, battling through six innings. The lefthander allowed eight runs, three earned, on eight hits. He walked four and struck out nine. Josh Mollett got the final three outs for his first save, striking out the final two batters of the game.

Melendez and Ryan Dickison each posted three hits along with Plunkett’s three for CU, with Dickison driving in two runs and scoring three times. Plunkett also scored twice for the Phoenix.

James West (1-2), the fourth of six Shawnee State hurlers, took the loss, giving up four runs on four hits in 1.1 innings.

In the opener, Zach Freeman went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI and Matt Dvorscak’s two-run single gave the Bears a 6-0 lead and SSU starter Derek Moore tossed seven strong innings to get the victory. The righthander allowed three runs on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

Brandon Bonar tossed two hitless innings to pick up his fourth save, walking one and striking out two.

Shawnee State scored twice in the sixth inning, one on a single by Austin Hall and another on a bases-loaded walk, and added three runs in the seventh. Wilson hit a solo homer and Dvorscak’s pinch-hit two-run single to left pushed SSU’s lead to 6-0.

Cumberland plated all of its runs in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single from McGrew and a two-run homer to leftcenter by Melendez, but the Phoenix managed four hits in the loss.

CU starter Curtis Hoppe (4-1) suffered the defeat, giving up three runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. The righthander walked three, hit two batters and struck out six.

The Bears took a quick lead in the first after a leadoff single by Freeman and Brandon Reaman was hit with one out. Mitchell Lendenski walked to load the bases and with two outs, Nick Rose also drew a free pass, forcing in a run for a 1-0 lead after a half inning.

Chase Thurber doubled to rightcenter with one out in the sixth for SSU and went to third on a passed ball. He scored on Hall’s single to center. With two outs the Bears drew three straight walks, the last one to Reaman, forcing in a run for a 3-0 lead.

Wilson drilled a solo homer to leftcenter to start the seventh for Shawnee State, extending the lead to 4-0.

Nick Rose then walked and Hall reached on an error by third baseman Josh Croft with one out. Freeman’s bunt single loaded the bases and Dvorscak’s single to left scored two more runs for a 6-0 SSU advantage.

The Phoenix cut into the deficit in the bottom of the seventh, with a hit by pitch of McGrew starting the rally. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single through the left side by Dickison. Melendez then followed with an opposite field homer to leftcenter, his second of the year, making it 6-3.

Langer also singled against Moore in the inning, but the righthander got Richard Carter to foul out and he struck out Ryan Simmons to end the inning.

The Bears added an insurance run in the ninth when Hall doubled down the leftfield line and Mike Watson dumped a single into short right. Freeman’s groundout to second plated pinch-runner Christian Helton for a 7-3 SSU lead.

In the second game Freeman led off the game with a single to left and stole second. With one out Reaman grounded to short, but McGrew’s throw to first got away, allowing Freeman to score for a quick 1-0 edge.

Wilson fisted a single into short center to start the fourth for the Bears and Rose followed with a single to left. Helton put down a good sacrifice bunt and Melendez threw the ball away, allowing a run to score. After a pair of strikeouts, Freeman was intentionally walked to load the bases and Conner Kindred’s grounder was thrown away by McGrew, plating another run.

Reaman followed with a two-run single to left, extending the Shawnee State lead to 5-0.

Dickison belted a solo homer to left to leadoff the bottom of the fourth, but Cumberland stranded a pair of runners after singles from Simmons and Plunkett.

In the fifth McGrew singled to leadoff and Croft hit a long fly ball to right that Reaman pulled back in, robbing Croft of a home run. Melendez and Dickison both singled, with Dickison’s line drive to rightcenter plating McGrew and cutting the deficit to 5-2.

Pinch-runner Saunders scored on a wild pitch before Langer’s line drive two-run homer to left, tying the game at five.

Simmons then walked and Plunkett doubled just inside the third base bag. Allen dumped a single down the rightfield line, plating pinch-runner Brian Conn and Plunkett for a 7-5 advantage.

The lead didn’t last long though, with Melendez striking out the first two batters of the sixth before Reaman walked and Lendenski was hit. After a visit to the mound, Wilson hammered the first pitch over the wall in left, giving Shawnee State the lead again, 8-7.

Cumberland answered again in the bottom of the sixth, starting with singles from Melendez and Dickison. Two wild pitches scored a run to knot the score and Plunkett greeted Bonar with a first-pitch bunt single down the third base line, his second bunt hit of the contest.

Allen and Lares both walked, with Dorsey scoring in-between, and McGrew was hit, forcing in the final run of the contest.