PEMBROKE, N.C. – The Cobra baseball team used a seven run ninth inning to break a 8-8 tie and eventually take home a 15-11 road victory over the nationally ranked #17 UNC-Pembroke Braves on Thursday night. The non-conference win improves the Cobras to 19-18 overall, while the Braves fall to 21-9.

Coker got the offense started with a solo homer by Brinley Griffin (Port St. John, Fla.) in the first, but UNC-P quickly answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at one. The Cobras then scored three more runs over the next two innings, while the Braves plated just one, giving Coker a 4-2 lead. A three run fourth inning gave Coker a nice 7-2 lead, but that did not last long when the Braves posted five runs in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game at seven.

An exchange of runs in the seventh and a scoreless eighth made it 8-8 heading to the ninth. Griffin got the offense started once again with another solo homer in the first at bat of the inning. Coker then scored six more runs on seven hits to take a 15-8 lead. Pembroke did manage to get three more runs across in the bottom half, but the Cobras held off their attack to take home the win.

Dan Meyer (Seaford, N.Y.) (1-1) picked up his first win of the year for the Cobras, going three innings allowing four runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Griffin finished the day 3-for-3 with two homers, two RBIS and three runs scored, while Brian Luchsinger (Farmingville, N.Y.) was 3-for-4 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. Drew Hardee (Rock Hill, S.C.) also had three this for Coker with three runs scored, including double and Nick Fuoco (Palm Bay, Fla.) had two hits with a double and an RBI. Jordan Buenting (Ankeny, Iowa) and Matt Ammons (Chester, S.C.) each had a pair of hits, while Buenting drove in three runs and Ammons drove in two.

The Cobras return to the diamond on Friday for the start of their final Conference Carolinas series of the season against Anderson University. The first game of the double-header starts tomorrow at noon, with the third and final game on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.