LEBANON, Tenn. – Nick McGrew posted three hits and Josh Croft hit a two-run homer, but 23rd-ranked Bryan College scored twice in the sixth to take the lead and added an insurance run in the eighth in a 5-3 victory over Cumberland in baseball action Tuesday night in Dayton, Tenn.

Croft’s two-run homer in the first and McGrew’s RBI single in the second gave the Phoenix (17-15) a 3-2 edge that it carried into the sixth. The Lions (22-7) plated a pair of runs in the sixth thanks to two Cumberland errors and Preston King’s two-out double scored Jesus Astudillo with an insurance run in the eighth for the home team.

That made a winner of Bryan starter Hunter Tipton (3-0), who allowed three runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings. He walked three and struck out four before giving way to the bullpen, with three guys tossed 2.1 hitless frames, walking one and striking out one. Brandon Marklund got the final three outs for his first save.

King collected two hits and two RBIs in the contest and Andrew Urbistondo and Crandon Wallace each posted two hits as well for the Lions, who have won seven straight.

Cumberland starter Mike Melendez (3-4) suffered the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits in 7.2 innings. The lefthander walked three and struck out a season-best 10.

The Phoenix started quickly, with McGrew leading off the game with a single down the leftfield line and two batters later, Croft belted his third home run of the year over the wall in right.

King’s solo homer in the bottom of the first cut the CU lead to 2-1.

Kyle Allen reached on an error with one out in the second for Cumberland pinch-runner Jarrett Plunkett stole second. McGrew’s two-out single to center plated Plunkett for a 3-1 CU lead.

Hudson Clare struck out but reached on a wild pitch to start the Bryan bottom of the second and Brookes Jones followed with a walk. Urbistondo bunted but Clare was thrown out at third and Astudillo struck out. With two outs Wallace singled up the middle, scoring Jones for a 3-2 contest.

Starting with the third, Tipton retired 12 of 17 batters and used doubleplays to get out of jams in the sixth innings before leaving with two outs in the seventh. Melendez also induced a ground ball doubleplay in the fourth and stranded two more runners in the fifth before running into trouble in the sixth.

Clare led off with a double down the leftfield line but Jones’ bunt attempt failed to advance the runner. Urbistondo reached on an infield single, putting runners on the corners, and McGrew’s fielding error at third allowed a run to come across. Hector Viera’s throwing error on a ground ball by Evan Speicher plated the second run of the inning for a 4-3 Bryan lead.

In the eighth Astudillo singled with one out and stole second. CU reliever Erik Barron hit Speicher with two outs and allowed King’s double to leftcenter, stretching the lead to 5-3.

Cumberland plays at St. Catharine College in a three-game Mid-South Conference series this weekend starting Friday with a single game at Noon CT.