PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke baseball team tacked up four runs in the third, and then pulled away late with a 7-run seventh inning, as the Braves steamrolled visiting Young Harris, 12-1, in the series opener on Saturday afternoon at Sammy Cox Field.

The Braves (22-7, 10-6 PBC) got multi-hit outings from six different players, including Collins Cuthrell (2-for-4, 3 RBI) who shattered a six-year-old school record with his 17th home run of the season. Dalton Knight drove in a run and scored three times on a 3-for-4 outing for the hosts as well.

Michael Livingston doubled to highlight a 2-for-3 day at the plate for the Mountain Lions (10-19, 7-12).

Wes Helsabeck (5-0) struck out seven and scattered six hits over eight strong innings of work to improve to 4-0 as a starter this season, while Jimmie Davis finished out the game in relief with a hitless ninth inning. Cole Amtmann (1-4) saddled the loss for Young Harris after allowing four runs (one earned) on 10 hits in six innings from the mound. He also struck out three.

UNCP took the lead for good on a two-out RBI single by Ben Schmucker in the third, but added three more runs minutes later on a costly dropped fly ball by the Young Harris defense. The Mountain Lions used a RBI single by Logan Bell to cut into their deficit in the top of the seventh, but the Braves sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame to put the game out of reach.