Miles snapped a five-game skid by sweeping Benedict in a three-game series on Sunday and Monday at Roy W. Johnson, Jr. Field. The Golden Bears (15-14, 13-5 SIAC) took both ends of a doubleheader, 12-2 and 6-5, before nabbing the finale 13-5. Camden Matthews (6-for-9, 7 RBI) and Trey Rutledge (6-for-10, nine runs scored, six stolen bases) led the offensive charge while pitchers Trent Jones, Nick Copen and Branson Honea combined to allow just three earned runs over 16 innings.

GAME 1 - Miles 12, Benedict 2 (8)

Jones (3-3) allowed just three hits, two unearned runs and struck out five as the Golden Bears broke their losing skid with a run-rule win over the Tigers. Benedict helped Miles early, allowing two unearned runs in the first. The Golden Bears broke the game open in the third, scoring four times. Copen started the scoring with a sacrifice fly, Matthews knocked in a run with a single, and Max Davenport plated two more with his own base hit for a 6-0 lead.

Benedict trailed 7-2 in the sixth when Miles put the game to bed. A RBI single by Rutledge scored Jordan Pearson and Copen followed two batters later with his second homer of the season - a two-run shot to center - for his third and fourth RBI of the game and a 10-2 advantage. In the bottom of the eighth, Pearson was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. He stole two bases to get to third in front of a one-out walk to Rutledge. Auston Brewer would double to drive in both runs and end the contest.

GAME 2 - Miles 6, Benedict 5

Matthews knocked in Rutledge with singles in the first and third innings, sandwiching a Mason McClammy RBI single in the second for a 3-0 lead. Copen was rolling through five innings, not aloowing a run before the Golden Bears ran into trouble in the sixth.

After walking the first two batters in the inning, Drew Shackleford came in to relieve Copen. He pitched to one batter (a wild pitch and a walk) to load the bases. Austin Douglas (3-1) came in, and allowed a sacrifice fly to plate the Tigers first run and end Copen's scoreless inning streak at 25 1/3. But Benedict was not done. A RBI single from Jalen McDuffie and a pinch-hit, two-run double by Kent Johnson gave the Tigers their first lead of the series, 4-3.

But Miles answered with more help from Benedict. Davenport stole third and scored on a bad throw to tie the game. Tyler Spruill followed with a triple and scored the go-ahead run on a RBI ground out from Kaleb Priest. The Golden Bears added an insurance run when Pearson walked, stole second and third, and scored on a wild pitch for a 6-4 lead. The Tigers scored once in the seventh but Matthews closed the show with the tying run at second, getting a ground out on a comebacker to notch his third save of the year.

GAME 3 - Miles 13, Benedict 5

Miles trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the third but a bases-clearing double by Brandon Leroy put Miles on top for good. Davenport followed with a single to score Leroy for a 5-3 lead. Matthews added a RBI single in the fourth, then he and Leroy each had sac fly RBI in the sixth for a 9-3 advantage.

That was plenty of run support for Hosea (2-3), who allowed four hits and one earned run while striking out four in five innings of work. The Golden Bears continued to pour it on late, with Spruill hitting his first home run of the season - a solo shot - and Pearson adding a sacrifice fly RBI in the seventh. Miles scored twice more in the eighth with Matthews scoring on a balk and Davenport scoring on a wild pitch to close out the scoring.

UP NEXT - Miles travels to take on Savannah State, with both teams currently tied for third in the SIAC standings. The three-game series begins with a doubleheader on Friday. First pitch is schedulded for noon.