WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. — On Tuesday, the (RV) Milligan University baseball squad put their current nine-game winning streak on the line in a midweek matchup against the No. 6-ranked University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) Patriots away from home. After a quick start to the game by the Buffs' offense, the Pats raced ahead and held on to snap the MU streak, handing them a 7-5 loss.

A beautiful start for Milligan that included four straight batters reaching base safely began with a hit-by-pitch to Braxton Baird. Then, Gaven Jones singled to left field to put two on with no outs. A RBI single by Cade Kalehuawehe up the middle scored Baird to give the Buffs a 1-0 lead. Then, a Brody Melton single through the left side made it 2-0, pushing Jones across the dish.

With two outs recorded in the bottom of the third and the bases loaded, a three-run triple by the Patriots—followed by a run-scoring single—gave the hosts a 4-2 advantage.

At the end of that inning, a delay to the game was announced, as it was deemed necessary for the umpiring crew to switch positions for a medical reason.

When the teams came back, a scoreless inning-and-a-half preceded, but UC tallied a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead to 6-2 after five full.

The Buffaloes got both those runs back in the top of the sixth, when a two-out RBI single by Reagan Smith scored Miller Spence and a Nick Moss run-scoring base hit chased Smith across, making it 6-4 in the hosts' favor.

With runners at second and third with no outs in the bottom of the sixth, Cumberlands scored on an RBI fielder's choice but were then snuffed out on a line drive that resulted in a double play. It was a 7-4 UC edge after six.

Neither side tallied a run in the seventh, but the Buffs got another RBI from Moss in the top of the eighth, when he doubled to left-center field to score Spence with two outs. With that tally, MU brought the tying run to the plate, as Baird flied out to the warning track in center field to end the inning with a 7-5 Buffaloes deficit.

After a three-up-three-down bottom of the eighth, Milligan entered the ninth needing two runs to tie and three to take the lead. They got runners to second and third with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the game with a 7-5 Buffs loss.

Milligan outhit the Patriots by a 10-7 total in the game, as Moss was the Buffaloes' leader with a 3-for-4 day with a double and a pair of runs batted in. Kalehuawehe (2-for-3, RBI) and Smith (2-for-4, RBI, R) both had multiple knocks, and Jones, Melton and Wyatt Heidle rounded out the 10 total base hits.

Cainan Meyers tossed the three innings prior to the delay, allowing four runs on three hits. He had three strikeouts and three walks in the appearance. Devin Gutierrez went the next two innings, allowing two earned runs on a trio of knocks. He also had a punchout and gave up one base on balls. Jake Brune tossed a pair of frames and gave up a single run on one hit. Justin Schnell kept the Buffaloes close with a scoreless eighth inning, including a pair of strikeouts.

The Buffs (28-7, 14-4 AAC) will now look forward to an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series at home against the Montreat College (N.C.) Cavaliers. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Friday afternoon, as game one is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Anglin Field.