PEMBROKE – Home-standing UNCP twice rallied back from late-inning deficits before using a two-run single from J.J. Williams in the bottom of the eighth to top visiting Coker, 5-3, and snap a six-game losing streak on Wednesday evening at Sammy Cox Field.

The triumph gave the Braves (15-9) their first win in nearly two weeks, while also helping the Black & Gold knot up its season series with the Cobras (14-13). The setback snapped a two-game winning streak for Coker.

Freshman Drew Cole turned in a perfect 4-for-4 night at the plate to top the hit column  for UNCP, but the Braves got game-changing hits from both Tyler Potter (1-for-3, HR) and Williams (2-for-4, 2 RBI) in the victory as well. Coker got 2-for-4 performances from both Jake Frazier and Frank Suarez, while Nathan Wilson booked a 1-for-2 night with a pair of walks.

Brantley Hattrich (4-2) allowed just one hit in one inning of relief work to pick up the victory for the hosts, while Braxton Lewis grabbed his seventh save of the season despite hitting a batter and surrendering a two-out single in a scoreless ninth. Russ White (1-2) saddled the loss for the Cobras after yielding three earned runs on as many hits in just one inning of work.

Coker starter Tyler Witzel and UNCP reliever Thomas Allen both pitched brilliantly in the outing, but neither pitcher came away with a decision. Witzel struck out four and allowed just three hits in six innings from the hill, while Allen struck out three and surrendered both a hit and an earned run three innings of relief.

A RBI single by Keith Wolf coupled with a safety squeeze bunt by Rob Quattrock in the top of the fourth inning would allow Coker to forge the early 2-0 lead, but the Braves finally answered in the seventh with a two-out single from Williams and an ensuing home run by Potter in the seventh.

The Cobras reclaimed the lead on Suarez's RBI single in the top of the eighth, but the Braves rallied again in the home half of the inning, tying the score on Aaron Parnell's sacrifice fly to left field, and then taking the final lead of the game on Williams' go-ahead single.

Despite retiring the first two batters he faced, Lewis gave the visitors a glimmer of hope in the bottom of the ninth by pegging Taylor Martin and then yielding a single to Frazier, but the senior got Chad Nader on a soft grounder to shortstop to end the game.

UNCP will continue its 10-game home stand this weekend when it welcomes Peach Belt Conference West Division foe Augusta State (8-16, 1-11 PBC) to Sammy Cox Field for a three-game series. The squads will open up the weekend with a rare Friday evening (7 p.m.) before closing out the set with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.

To watch the full game click Part 1 or Part 2.