LEBANON, Tenn. – Mike Melendez collected three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored, Drew Chester tossed six innings for the win and Cumberland scored five runs in the seventh to break open a tie game en route to a 9-3 victory over No. 9 Tennessee Wesleyan in baseball action Wednesday in Athens, Tenn.

Melendez’s two-run double and RBI hits from Ryan Dickison and Josh Croft were part of the five-run inning that broke a 3-3 tie in the contest. Melendez homered to leadoff the second inning and get Cumberland (20-16) on the board and also got the final three outs, working around an error and giving up a base hit before inducing a ground ball doubleplay to end the contest.

Chester (2-0) allowed three runs on seven hits in a career-best six innings, walking two and striking out four. He gave up a pair of solo homers and worked around doubles in the third and fourth innings for his first victory since February 17.

Stephen Fischer, Curtis Hoppe and Melendez tossed one inning apiece to finish off the contest, with the Bulldogs (22-9) grounding into doubleplays to end the eighth and ninth innings.

Dickison, Croft and Gabe Lares each registered two hits for the Phoenix, while Dickison scored twice and Croft drove in a pair of runs.

Melendez’s home run to leadoff the second inning, his third of the season, gave Cumberland a brief advantage. Wesleyan answered in the bottom of the frame with a one-out solo homer from Alfred Cruz.

Jarrett Plunkett’s one-out home run in the third inning, also his third of the year, put CU back ahead, but again the Bulldogs came right back in the bottom of the frame. Pedro Barrios walked to start the inning and came around on a two-out double from Paolo Montezuma, who finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Cumberland regained the advantage in the fourth on back-to-back doubles from Dickison and Melendez, but Montezuma’s leadoff homer in the sixth knotted the game at three.

The Phoenix broke the game open in the seventh with five runs on four hits and two walks as well as one costly error by the home team.

Nick McGrew started the rally with a two-out double to rightcenter before a walk to Hector Viera. Dickison followed with an RBI double to rightcenter and Melendez drove in two runs with a double down the line as well.

Croft then singled down the rightfield line, plating Melendez, and Lares walked. Pinch-runner Brian Conn eventually scored on a failed pickoff throw and a wild pitch for an 8-3 CU lead.

In the ninth Dickison singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch. He scored when Croft’s grounder to shortstop was booted by Wardy Polanco for the final run of the game.

Cumberland hosts the University of the Cumberlands this weekend in a three-game series starting Friday at 2 p.m. at Ernest L. Stockton Field-Woody Hunt Stadium.