SAVANNAH, Ga. – Stibel Aleman Saba's 2-run bomb with one out in the sixth helped the 21^st-ranked UNC Pembroke baseball team stake claim to a comfortable 12-1 lead, but the Braves had to hold off a late rally by Armstrong State to preserve a 14-11 victory over the Pirates on Friday afternoon in Savannah, Ga.
 
It was the 20^th victory in the last 23 outings for UNCP (36-12, 14-8 PBC) who had its school record 14-game win streak snapped at Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday. It was just the second loss in the last eight contests for Armstrong State (22-24, 5-17).
 
Ethan Baucom doubled, homered and drove in five runs on a 5-for-6 day at the plate for the Black & Gold, while Aleman Saba (1-for-3) homered for the fourth time in the last six games. Four other players turned in multi-hit days for the visitors as well, including Luke Jackson who singled twice and scored three times on a 2-for-5 hitting line.
 
Stetson Smith (3-for-4) doubled, tripled and drove in five runs for the hosts.
 
Anthony Burke (9-1) won for the fifth time in his last six starts despite striking out just one batter and allowing five earned runs in 5-2/3 innings from the hill. Sam Goberdahn (3-5) yielded just three hits in three innings of work, but saddled the tough-luck loss anyway with seven unearned runs and four walks included in his line.
 
The Braves mustered just one hit through the first two frames, but led 5-1 thanks to four costly errors by the Pirates. UNCP eventually padded its lead out to 12-1 after Aleman Saba's shot in the sixth, but the Pirates would not go away quietly.
 
Armstrong State plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth and, couple with lone runs in the seventh and eighth innings, trailed just 12-7 heading to the ninth. The Braves added a pair of insurance scores on a 2-run blast by Baucom in the final frame, but the Pirates made it a game in the home half of the inning.
 
The hosts scored four runs with their first five at-bats in the ninth to get the fans on the edge of their seats, but freshman reliever River Ryan slammed the door on the rally by recording three-straight outs.
 
The squads will continue the weekend series with a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday at Pirate Field.