BOWLING GREEN, Ky.--Cumberland wins an instant classic over Freed-Hardeman to stay in the winner’s bracket with an 11-9 victory at Bowling Green Ballpark. 

The Phoenix (35-11-1) got down 6-3 after three and had to overcome nine walks and three hit by pitches from the staff, but the Phoenix got it done. Matthew Jenkinson was phenomenal out of the bullpen throwing the final four frames allowing just one hit and one run to get the win on the mound. He struck out five. 

The bats picked up 14 hits and three homers with huge timely, situational hitting and the defense flipped two double plays to help get out of jams. 

Cole Turney went 4-for-6 with his 30th home run of the season. Tim Holyk continues to have a big tournament going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and 5 RBI. Ian Krupp tallied three hit, Tyner Hughes went 2-for-6, and Juan Moreno hit a clutch home run. 

Ethan Torres got the start on the mound throwing four innings giving up seven hits, six runs, five of those were earned, with four walks in the no decision. 

Cumberland got to Freed-Hardeman starter Alex Huey early as the Phoenix loaded the bases with two outs for Sanders. He ended up drawing a full-count walk for the first run of the game. The next batter, Tim Holyk continued to stay hot, hitting a ground-rule double off the chalk in the right-field line for two more and 3-0 lead going to the bottom of the first. 

The Lions answered with a run on an Adam Smithson double, scoring Christian Presley from first. 

Freed-Hardeman packed on four runs in the second to take a 5-3 lead. Torres issued two walks to start the inning and then an error in the field scored the first. William Kelley grounded out to score a run, Presley singled home a run, and Will McCall doubled home the final run of the inning. 

The Lions added another run in the third, Cam Madding singled to lead off the inning. Sean Rooney drew a walk and Madding moved to third on a fielder’s choice. Baron Ratliff blooped a ball into center that shortstop Dalton chased down a dead sprint to the outfield allowing Madding to score on a sac fly and push the lead to 6-3 after three. 

In the fifth, Turney and Hughes hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Sanders drew a free pass to load the bases and Holyk delivered again with a two-RBI single through the left side. With two outs and Holyk and Sanders on first and third, the Phoenix went with the Dodger play drawing the pickoff from the pitcher. The Lions didn’t fall for it as they had Sanders hung up to dry in a pickle between third and home, but Sanders evaded the tag to slide in safely, tying the game at 6-6. 

In the bottom half, the Lions chased starter Ethan Torres after a walk and a double put runners on second and third. Reid Madariaga came in and induced a first pitch fly out to right. Sanders fired a strike towards the plate, freezing the runner at third, but the runner on second strayed too far away as Triplett threw behind him and doubled him off. Madariaga then induced a groundout to hold the Lions scoreless in the inning. 

Turney singled again to in the sixth and went first to third on a single from Hughes. He came in to score on a passed ball to give Cumberland the lead at 7-6.  

Madariaga lost command in the bottom half, walking the first three batters and hitting McCall to plate a run, ending his outing and bringing in Matthew Jenkinson with the bases loaded and no one out. One run came in on a fielder's choice, but that was it as Jenkinson got a big strikeout to leave them full, but the Lions took the lead 8-7 going to the seventh. 

On the first pitch of the seventh, Holyk blasted a solo home run over the left field fence to tie the game. His 16th home run of the season. Two batters later, Juan Moreno beefed a go-ahead solo shot for a 9-8 lead through seven. 

Cumberland loaded the bases in the eighth and Moreno was hit by a pitch to plate a run, but new pitcher Seth Creasy got a big punch out to leave them full and only allow one run. 

Smithson drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half and with two outs Madding gave the ball a ride off the top of the wall in right. The ball caromed away from Farmer and Sanders allowing the runner at first to score on a triple. Jenkinson again had a big strikeout to leave the runner on third and hold on to a 10-9 lead. 

Turney supplied an insurance run in the ninth with his 30th bomb of the year to dead center field. 

Jenkinson slammed the door shut in the bottom half to close out the win for Cumberland 11-9. 

The Phoenix move on to play tomorrow at noon against the No. 1-seed in the tournament, the University of the Cumberlands.