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Surrendering the first run of the game however, the Eagles hit a deep home run to left field on the first pitch of the next at-bat. A triple followed that effort, as well as a walk, but Boggs struck out the final batter to keep it at 1-0.

Tim Holyk got himself on base in the bottom of the frame, the Phoenix however could not match Reinhardt’s run. RU answered with another run in the top of the second, as a bunt and sacrifice bunt helped to get a runner to second base with two outs.

Boggs looked to have gotten himself a clean inning, forcing a deep fly ball to right field, an error allowed the runner to score however. Cumberland needed the bats to get warm in the bottom of the frame and Preston Welchel would lead off for Cumberland.

Leaving little time to wonder, Welchel matched the Eagles effort with a first pitch solo shot of his own to claw one back for the Phoenix. Leveling the game on the very next pitch, Dee Triplett hit a homer to the same spot that Welchel just did, as the two lefties went back-to-back.

A single and a walk to lead off the next inning gave JP Kenyon the chance to come in and attempt to get Cumberland out of the jam. The first batter that he saw hit a slap single to left field and another error saw the lead runner advance from first to third base on the hit.

A double down the left-field line the next at-bat kept pushing runners across and made it a two run deficit for the Phoenix. One more runner found their way across the plate from a wild pitch before Kenyon was able to strike out the final batter of the inning, making it a 5-2 game through two and a half innings.

Holyk again found himself on base, this time from an error from the shortstop, though it did not amount to anything for the Phoenix again. The Eagles kept their foot on the base again in the top of the fourth inning, scoring from a two-run shot to right field, a popular spot on the day with up-to thirty mile an hour gusts of winds to the southwest.

For the second time this game, the Phoenix answered with another solo shot of their own to lead off the bottom of the inning. Dee Triplett got ahold of his second ball of the game and launched it even further than he did his first time around, yet again over the right field fence.

Finally getting their first shutout inning of the afternoon, Carter Rost came in and shut down the Eagles to give its their first momentum shifter. Javier Beal slapped a single into shallow left field and Tim Holyk walked to put two runners on with no outs.

The fifth frame seemed to be up-and-down for the Phoenix as Riley Light grounded into a fielder’s choice, which was then thrown away from the first baseman on the relay. Beal rounded third base as the error was recorded but an unlucky bounce fell to the first baseman’s feet and gave the Eagles a direct throw to home to record an unusual 4-6-3-2 double play.

Just as things looked to be turning away from the Phoenix, Preston Welchel matched Triplett’s two-homer game with another of his own, making the game 7-5 for RU. Reinhardt got another run on the board with yet another home run to lead off the sixth inning, the seventh of the game.

Reinhardt kept the home-run train rolling, hitting a three-run home run over the batter’s eye, strengthening its lead further, 11-5. Despite the hot bats from the opponents, the Phoenix had plenty of fight left.

All with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Rafael Garcia hit a double to the left-field gap and found his way over to third when Beal slapped another single. Keeping the rally going by hitting a bloop single to shallow left, Holyk grabbed a run back for Cumberland.

Keeping things going, Riley Light legged out a fielder’s choice and Holyk moved over to second on an error from the second baseman. But Holyk was picked off on a slick play from the catcher and shortstop.

After six innings of free-flowing offense, both teams finally slowed for a moment with the seventh inning seeing both teams shut out. Cumberland kept the Eagles cool in the eight and looked to score early and often in their half of the frame.

Trent Duchscherer walked to lead the inning off and with Ty Martin running for him, a Brandon Boxer double put two runners in scoring position. Adding a second hit to his box score, Rafael Garcia hit a single that scored Martin and advanced Boxer over to third. Reinhardt played good defense again and was able to get themselves out of the jam, allowing just the one run.

Will Graves kept up his great outing and continued to keep the Eagles shutout for the third straight inning, giving the Phoenix a chance to come back in the bottom of the ninth inning as the game sat at 11-7.

Back-to-back singles up the middle from Holyk and Light set up Cumberland for a strong inning, but Reinhardt again found a way out of the jam, not allowing another runner to cross the plate.

Cumberland is playing one more Mid-South Conference series this weekend before the regular season comes to a close, starting with a single game yesterday against Lindsey Wilson. The teams will end the series today with a noon doubleheader for Senior Day.