Related: Baseball Grabs Series Opener With Francis Marion

PEMBROKE – An ill-timed error opened the door to six unearned runs for visiting Francis Marion in the top of the first inning, but the UNC Pembroke baseball team scored six times in the fifth and twice more in the eighth to key a series-clinching 9-7 win over the Patriots on Ray Pennington Day at Sammy Cox Field.
 
The Braves (25-11, 9-8 PBC) won for the ninth time in their last 11 outings with the triumph, while also tacking up their eighth series win of the season as well. The Patriots (26-13, 8-9), who rode a five-game win streak into the weekend, have now dropped consecutive games for the first time this month.
 
Roberto Rivera (3-for-5, RBI) and Nick Debo (3-for-4, 3 R) turned in three hits apiece to fuel a 15-hit attack for the Black & Gold, while Nick Salisbury homered for the first time this season to highlight a 2-for-4 day at the plate. Ethan Baucom (2-for-4, 2 R) tallied a pair of hits for the hosts as well.
 
Tee DuBose (2-for-5, 2 RBI), Trey Chapman (2-for-4) and Jameson Spitzmiller (2-for-2) – the last three hitters in Francis Marion's batting order – combined for six of the Patriots' nine hits on the day.
 
Kyle Ramsey (3-2) earned the win in relief for the Braves after striking out three and allowing just one hit in two scoreless innings from the hill, but UNCP got a clutch relief performance from Stinnett to key the win. Stinnett inherited a bases loaded jam with one out in the third, but escaped the inning unscathed and finished his day with five strikeouts and just one hit allowed in 4-2/3 innings of work.
 
Reliever Christian Umphlett (5-2) took the loss for the Patriots after surrendering five runs (four earned) on seven hits and a trio of walks in four innings from the hill.
 
UNCP cut into a 6-0 deficit with a lone run in the bottom of the second inning, and then rallied for six scores in the bottom of the fifth, including three with two outs showing. Cole Griesinger's fielder's choice RBI with one out in the seventh brought the tying run across, but the Braves put up the final rally of the contest.
 
The Black & Gold got its first two runners aboard in the eighth, and took the lead for good on Justin Dattilo's safety squeeze bunt one at-bat later. Stibel Aleman Saba's sac fly later in the frame plated an insurance run.
 
The Braves will battle Francis Marion in the series finale on Sunday at Sammy Cox Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., and will be preceded by a Senior Day ceremony for the club's 10-member Class of 2017.