LEBANON, Tenn. – Hector Viera, Nick McGrew and Josh Croft each collected two hits, but Josh Merrigan posted three hits and three RBIs and Jereid Woods added two hits, two runs and two RBIs, leading top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett to a 6-5 victory over Cumberland in baseball action Monday night in Lawrenceville, Ga.

McGrew’s RBI single in the first put Cumberland (34-21) ahead, 1-0, but the Grizzlies (48-4) answered with an RBI triple in the bottom of the inning from Zac Rinehart. Back-to-back two-run doubles from Woods and Merrigan in the second gave the home team a 5-1 advantage.

Croft’s RBI double, a run-scoring single from Jarrett Plunkett and a sacrifice fly by Gabe Lares cut the deficit to 5-4, but Merrigan’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning made it a two-run game.

McGrew singled, stole second and scored on an error in the fifth, but Tyler Yorko and Croft were stranded at second and third to end the inning by GGC reliever Tyler Souris (1-0), who tossed 3.1 shutout innings to get the win. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one, retiring 10 of the 12 batters he faced.

In the ninth Lares led off with a double, but after failing to get the bunt down, Viera bounced into a 6-3 doubleplay and Ryan Dickison struck out to end the contest.

CU starter Mitch Langer (5-2) suffered the loss, giving up six runs on eight hits in four innings. The righthander walked four and struck out three. Sean Cruz tossed the final four innings for the Phoenix, striking out five and allowing just two hits.

Viera singled with one out in the first and took second on a wild pitch by GGC starter Adam Clark. He scored on McGrew’s two-out single to center.

The Grizzlies answered back in the bottom of the frame, with Woods singling to rightcenter and taking second on a bobble by Dickison. Rinehart tripled down the rightfield line with two outs, evening the game at one.

Brady Hamilton led off the Gwinnett second inning with a bunt single and with one out, Trevor Bradley singled and Alex Lugo walked, loading the bases. Langer struck out Trey Haygood, but Woods delivered a two-run double to rightcenter and Merrigan’s double down the rightfield line plated two more for a 5-1 GGC lead.

Yorko and Croft had back-to-back doubles to start the fourth inning for CU and Plunkett followed with an RBI single. He went to second on an error in leftfield by GGC’s Hamilton and moved to third on Kyle Allen’s sacrifice bunt. Lares’ fly ball to center plated the run, cutting the deficit to 5-4.

Bradley walked to leadoff the bottom of the inning but Lugo bunted into a 5-4-3 doubleplay. With two outs Haygood singled up the middle and Woods walked before an RBI single to left by Merrigan increased the home team’s advantage to 6-4.

Gwinnett had just two baserunners in the final four innings against Cruz, singles in the seventh by Merrigan and Marcus McCorkle.

In the fifth McGrew led off with a single to the left side and stole second. Yorko grounded to third, but Angel Soto’s throw to first got away, allowing the run to score. Souris entered the game and gave up a single to Croft before striking out Plunkett to end the inning.

Cumberland’s only other baserunner against Souris was a two-out walk to Mike Melendez in the seventh, but he was erased by a fielder’s choice from Yorko.

Cumberland plays again this weekend at Georgetown College in the opening round of the Mid-South Conference Championships. Days and times for the best 2-of-3 series have not yet been determined because of weather forecasts.