A six-run lead by Cumberland Gap wasn't safe in West Greene's home baseball opener on Tuesday. By game's end, the Panthers still collected the Blue Ridge Athletic Conference win.

Jeffrey Matlock's tie-breaking seventh-inning home run gave Cumberland Gap an 8-7 victory over the Buffaloes at Hal "Buddy" Pruitt Field. The visitors move to 2-0 (2-0 in the BRAC) while West Greene falls to 0-2 (0-2).

The Buffs battled back from a 6-0 deficit to even the match-up in the bottom of the sixth at 7-7 before Matlock's second homer in as many days. Four unearned runs hurt the WG cause on the day.

"Little things get you in the end and we need to do a better job of making the routine plays and that definitely didn't help us in this game but we're a young team and it's a long season," said West Greene head man Mark Bowles. "Cumberland Gap is a scrappy, well-coached team and I like the way they play."

Despite allowing two runs plus an inherited runner to score in a third of an inning of relief work, Matlock (1-0) also picked up the mound win. Stephen Bentley (0-1) was effective after following starter Zach McCamey but took the tough loss. Seth Sharpe worked a hitless last of the seventh for his first save.

Early on, it was the Panthers with the upper hand, thanks to three unearned tallies off McCamey in the third inning. McCamey, who finished with a pitch-count of 80, allowed six runs, but only three earned, in four full innings on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

A trio of infield errors all factored in during the third. Sharpe and Trae Minton each reached on miscues and Zach Baughcum was safe on a fielder's choice when a tag at third was ruled to have been missed. Jaden Guy then collected an RBI double and Josh Lorens lofted a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-0 game. WG second baseman D.J. Ball's diving catch of a liner ended the frame, preventing further damage.

The CG lead grew to 6-0 in the fourth. Tanner Rutherford opened the inning with his first home run of the season. Sharpe cracked a two-bagger and was singled home by Minton. Lorens later added an RBI single. There was another web gem from the Buffs, as well. Center fielder Tyler Kelley robbed Baughcum of a possible homer, making a running grab while lunging above the fence in left-center field.

Panthers' lefty starter Colby Cannon looked to be in complete control heading to the bottom of the fifth, having held the Buffs to three hits and holding a 6-0 advantage. WG began to chip away at that point, scoring a pair of runs. Bentley and Chance Lamb singled with two away and Adam Shepherd plated both teammates with a long double, cutting the Buffs' deficit to 6-2.

Another unearned run went on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth for CG, making it 7-2. Three errors led to the marker, which crossed on an errant pickoff attempt.

West Greene came off the deck in a big way in the last of the inning, batting around and chasing Cannon in the process. Taylor McAmis singled with one out and was replaced on the bases by courtesy runner Alex Smyth. With two away and after the Panthers' lone error of the day, on a pickoff try, Ball singled in a run. Kelley followed with a hit, ending the day for Cannon. Bentley walked off Matlock and Shepherd capped his four-RBI day with a clutch two-run single, making it a one-run contest. Mikey Bible then guided a run-scoring hit through the right side to tie the game, 7-7. Cannon, who had moved to right field, threw out the potential lead run at the plate to keep the score deadlocked.

Matlock opened the top of the seventh with a no-doubt homer to right-center, giving the Panthers the lead back, 8-7. Sharpe then earned the save by coaxing three successive ground-outs in the bottom of the inning.

Sharpe, Minton and Cannon each had two-hit games for the winners. Kelley, Lamb, Shepherd and Bible stroked a pair of base hits apiece for the Buffs.

West Greene travels to David Crockett on Thursday for a 5 p.m. game.

Tuesday's scheduled game at South Greene between the Rebels and Greeneville was postponed until today due to wet grounds.