BLUEFIELD, Va.— The Montreat baseball team relied on its offense to win the opening matchup of its 3-game Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series with the Bluefield University Rams Thursday night. Powered by 10 runs, which matched the team's season-best, and a season-high 12 hits, the Cavaliers defeated the Rams in Virginia, 10-9, to improve to 5-9 (2-2 AAC) on the season.
 
Before Bluefield could even come to the dish, the Cavs jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Montreat batted around in the top of the first inning, driving in its initial four runs on a pair of hits. Tarik Latchmansingh crushed a 2-run homer to right center to open the scoring, and Necumba Booker Jr. plated two Cavaliers when he placed a single in right center. A wild pitch scored Montreat's final run of the frame as the visitors staked themselves out to an early 5-0 edge on the scoreboard.
 
Bluefield (5-4, 0-3 AAC) pulled two runs back with an RBI double in the first and an RBI single in the second, but it missed a chance to inflict more damage in the third frame. Despite back-to-back doubles to start the inning, the Rams failed to score. With two runners in scoring position and zero outs, Montreat starter Case Jaworski escaped the jam thanks to a pair of swinging strikeouts and a groundout to second base.
 
Isaac Castro opened the top of the fourth with a single, and, after advancing two bases on a sacrifice bunt, came around to score on Jaider Morelos' infield hit; however, the 6-2 scoreline proved to be short-lived as the Rams, powered by five hits, a walk and an error, knotted the score at six in the bottom half of the frame.
 
The Rams, who scored in four of the initial five innings, took their first lead of the night on a single through the left side in the fifth. Meanwhile, after a scoreless sixth frame, Montreat leveled the score at seven behind Norman Kelly's leadoff solo blast to left in the top of the seventh.
 
Like it did in the first inning, Montreat batted around in the eighth. Nine Cavs stepped up to the plate in the frame as the visitors pushed a trio of runs across home to move back in front, 10-7. Caleb Abshier and Castro delivered back-to-back doubles to score the initial run, Morelos singled with the bases juiced to plate another tally and Stephen Karis drew a bases-loaded walk to cap off the 3-run frame.
 
While Bluefield capitalized on a pair of walks and a throwing error to put the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth, the Cavs' bullpen controlled the Rams' offense throughout most of the ballgame's latter stages. Tyler Best took the mound after the opening walks, and he struck out the side to secure his first save of the season and a 10-9 Cavalier victory.
 
Montreat's bullpen allowed just two runs, only one of which was earned, across 4.1 innings to close out the win. Six Cavalier relievers combined to strike out seven Bluefield batters in the effort.
 
Six Cavs tallied exactly two hits on the night, while Karis (2-3) reached base a team-high four times thanks to his two hits and a pair of walks. Kelly also drew two walks and joined Castro as Cavaliers who scored two runs.
 
"It was an ugly win, but a win nonetheless," said head coach Jason Beck. "Our guys showed a lot of fight after losing the lead, and we came back with some big at-bats at the end of the game. Tyler Best really bailed us out throwing an incredible ninth inning to finish the game."
 
The Montreat baseball team resumes its 3-game set with Bluefield University tomorrow afternoon. First pitch of game one is set for 1:00 p.m. in Bluefield, Va.