PEMBROKE – Home-standing UNCP rallied for four runs in the first three frames and hit cruise control the rest of the way out as the 11th-ranked Braves completed a season sweep of visiting Barton with a 5-1 victory over the Bulldogs on Wednesday evening at Sammy Cox Field.

The win, coupled with a 22-5 victory over the Bulldogs in Wilson on March 22, helped the Braves (29-7) extend their series winning streak over Barton (12-24) out to four games. The triumph also extended UNCP's non-conference winning streak out to 19 contests.

Junior Eitan Maoz drove in a run, recorded a sacrifice hit and scored once on a multi-faceted 2-for-2 night at the plate, while newcomer Brandon Huffman belted his second home run of the season on a 1-for-2 hitting line to pace UNCP. Barton got base hits from three different players, including Jordan Smith who doubled and scored on a 1-for-4 plate performance.

UNCP starter Bryan Collins (2-0) struck out three and turned in three hitless innings of work from the mound to pick up the victory in a pre-determined pitching rotation. Tyler Wood, Brandon Huffman, Brantley Hattrich and Braxton Lewis each registered two or more strikeouts from the hill as well. Christian Oliver, the first of eight pitchers on the night for the visitors, saddled the loss after yielding two hits and an earned run in the first inning.

Maoz's RBI single with two outs in the first gave the Braves their first run of the game, with Huffman's two-run dinger in the second extending the lead out to 3-0. The hosts would scratch another insurance run up on the board on Josh Haley's RBI knock in the third, but Barton broke up the UNCP shutout, as well as three innings of monotony, with Smith's RBI knock in the seventh. The Braves would answer back, and inevitably cap the scoring on the night, when Aaron Parnell scored off of a pair of wild pitches after reaching base via a bean ball in the bottom of the frame.

UNCP will continue a six-game home stand this weekend when the Braves suit up to battle ninth-ranked and PBC West-leading Georgia College (24-11, 9-6 PBC) in a three-game set at Sammy Cox Field. The nationally-ranked foes will open up the weekend with a 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon twinbill, before closing out the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. single dip. Admission prices are $5 for adults and $2 for children 18 years of age and younger. UNCP students are admitted free with a valid Braves Card.