Related: No. 23 Baseball Rallies Back, But Falls Late To GRU Augusta

PEMBROKE – Visiting GRU Augusta pounded out nine hits in the first six innings to stake claim to a 6-0 lead, and blew the game wide open with a seven-run eighth, en route to a series-clinching 14-6 victory over the 23rd-ranked UNC Pembroke baseball team on Saturday afternoon at Cox Field.

Max Gagnon and Jordan Edgerton both hit homers to highlight 1-for-4 outings for the Braves (32-17, 16-13 PBC) who also got a 2-hit performance from Ben Schmucker (2-for-4). J.D. Sabo (3-for-4) and Ryan Khan (3-for-6, 3 RBI) both turned in a trio of hits for the Jaguars (19-30, 11-18).

Garrett Hickman (8-3) took the loss for the Braves after allowing 10 earned runs on 12 hits and six walks in 7-1/3 innings from the mound. He also struck out four. Clint Echols (3-4), who grabbed his sixth save of the season in Friday night's win, struck out five and got the win this time around despite yielding six earned runs on five hits and five walks in 7-1/3 innings of work.

The Jags punched up eight hits and four runs in the first two innings alone to grab an early 4-0 lead, and padded the advantage out to 6-0 in the sixth on a RBI single by Bradley Dennis, as well as a costly wild pitch. UNCP cut its deficit in half with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a two-run homer from Gagnon, but the visitors put the game away with a high-scoring eighth inning.

The Braves will look to fend off the weekend sweep on Sunday when they meet the Jags in the series finale at Cox Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.