LEBANON, Tenn. – Cory Farris homered, drove in three runs and scored three times and Mike Mandarino homered and allowed an unearned run in five innings of work, leading top-ranked Cumberland to a 12-3 victory over McKendree University on Saturday morning at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson, Miss. The Bulldogs play again later in the day against 12th-ranked Belhaven University.
The Bulldogs (4-1) scored three runs in the first and then added eight runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to avenge a 2-1 loss to the Bearcats (2-5) on Friday. Greg Appleton and Richie Seaton both collected a pair of hits for CU, while David Fanshawe drove in a pair of runs and Seaton scored twice.
Mandarino (2-0) posted his second straight impressive outing on the mound, giving up five hits and an unearned run in five innings. He walked one and struck out one.
McKendree starter Alex Young (0-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in three innings. Four Bearcats relievers gave up eight runs in three innings.
McKendree took an early lead with a run in the top of the first. Dan Corwin singled with two outs and Kyle Moll followed with a single. Brad Dunnigan then beat out an infield single and Corwin scored on a throwing error by Tommy Crews.
But the Bulldogs answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Appleton singled with two outs and Mandarino walked. Farris then doubled to deep center, scoring two runs, and Tommy Crews’ infield single put runners on the corners. T.J. Murphy’s single to center gave CU a 3-1 advantage.
In the second Tommy Winegardner tripled to center and Fanshawe walked with one out. Appleton’s single to center plated Winegardner for a 4-1 lead.
In the fourth Seaton beat out an infield single to start the inning and Antonio Butler followed with a single to left. Winegardner walked to load the bases before a sacrifice fly from Fanshawe. Winegardner and Butler then pulled off the double steal for a 6-1 Bulldog edge.
Cumberland added four more runs in the fifth, starting with a booming home run down the rightfield line from Farris. Crews then doubled to rightcenter and Murphy walked. Seaton followed with an RBI double and Butler plated pinch-runner Ben Foster with a sacrifice fly. Fanshawe’s single down the leftfield line scored Seaton for the final run of the inning.
McKendree scored twice in the top of the sixth against CU reliever Matt McFarland.
Dunnigan doubled to rightcenter with two outs and Brandon Gargus followed with another double. Rob Beatty drove home Gargus with a single down the leftfield line.
Mandarino led off the sixth with a solo homer to leftfield and Jesse Coe’s two-out double to leftfield scored Farris for the final runs of the contest.
