PEMBROKE — Sometimes the determining factor of a baseball game can be as simple as which team takes better advantage of its scoring opportunities.

In Wednesday’s United-8 Conference Tournament semifinal, Purnell Swett converted on several of its scoring chances, including some extra chances given by Lumberton, while the Pirates left some runs on the field.

The result was a 9-4 Rams win, sending Purnell Swett into the tournament final.

“We got ourselves out of a couple innings early, a couple double plays,” Purnell Swett coach Jeff Lamb said. “Our approach at the plate wasn’t as good as what we’ve been doing, but they saw that guy and I think they were amped up. All in all, they came through; this time of year, it’s just called survive and advance and live to play another day, and we have that opportunity.”

Second-seeded Purnell Swett (17-7) will face top-seeded Cape Fear Thursday in Fayetteville after the Colts beat No. 4 Gray’s Creek 6-5 in 10 innings in Wednesday’s other semifinal.

No. 3 seed Lumberton (13-7) will likely be just outside the state playoff field after entering Wednesday’s game at No. 37 in the state’s RPI rankings for the 4A East Region, with 32 playoff spots available.

“I thought we had chances early to score some runs, put some pressure on them, and we didn’t, we couldn’t come up with the big hit,” Lumberton coach Jeff McLamb said.

The biggest opportunity taken advantage of by the Rams came in the fourth inning, a four-run frame that gave them a 5-0 lead. Joseden Oxendine reached on a throwing error to start the inning and Chandon Sanderson and Jacey Jacobs each singled. Sacrifice flies by Bladdon Hammonds and Waydan McMillan brought home both Joseden Oxendine and courtesy runner Johnny Jackson, then Jacob Chavis singled to plate Jacobs and Mason Brewer.

“I felt like if we don’t take advantage of that, we don’t win that game,” Sanderson said. “I told the guys in that situation, they told me just to put the ball in play, be on time. They gave me that fastball, and I was on time, over the third baseman’s head.”

Purnell Swett scored its first run when a two-out error in the first inning allowed Chavis to cross home plate.

The Pirates had chances in the early innings as well, but stranded two baserunners in the first inning and left the bases loaded in the second. Purnell Swett then turned double plays in the next two innings, on a ground ball in the third and a lineout in the fourth, to neutralize Lumberton threats.

Lumberton struck for four unearned runs in the fifth inning, with a bloop single by Tashaun Stocks falling into to allow Chatler Maynor, who had reached on an error, to score the team’s first run. Caleb Maynor then took home on a double steal, and a J.T. Hepler triple drove in both Stocks and Isaac Simmons, making it 5-4.

“I knew we were going to fight to the end,” McLamb said. “We caught a couple breaks and we took advantage of it, scored and cut (the lead) to one. … They got some big hits and we didn’t, so that was the story of the game.”

But Purnell Swett provided an answer with another opportunity found, a three-run fifth inning. Easton Oxendine and Joseden Oxendine both tripled before wild pitches allowed them to score. After two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases, Mason Brewer was hit by a pitch to allow Jackson to score for an 8-4 Rams advantage.

“I think the true story of the game, of us, was once we gave up four (runs), we came in and responded with three,” Lamb said. “And we had the opportunity to even add a couple more there. Guys stepping up — guy hits a triple, we get him in. The inning we scored four, I believe two of them were sac flies. That’s just going up, quality ABs at the plate, knowing the situation and executing the situation.”

The Rams added one more in the sixth, when Easton Oxendine reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch.

Sanderson earned the win for the Rams after six strong innings, allowing no earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts.

“I told the boys when we came in here today, we had to have some big energy and get ready for the game tomorrow, but we had to get past this one first,” Sanderson said. “We had to come out, swing the bats, I had to throw strikes and just let the defense play behind me.”

Jacob Chavis and Easton Oxendine each had three hits for Purnell Swett, with Easton Oxendine, Joseden Oxendine and Sanderson scoring two runs apiece and Chavis earning two RBIs.

“I just sat fastball, found my pitch and hit it — swung hard,” Easton Oxendine said.

“Easton, that’s a big night for him,” Lamb said. “He’s been due, and he stepped up tonight in a big game, and I’m really proud of him. He hasn’t had the season he was hoping for, but hopefully we’ve got a lot more to go, and hopefully that’ll just bring him (along). That was a big night for him; kudos to him, he earned it, he deserved it and he got it.”

Damian Robinson took the loss for Lumberton, allowing two earned runs on nine hits with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Hepler had three hits to lead the Pirates offensively, finishing a home run short of the cycle.

After the Rams’ fifth straight win over Lumberton, a streak encompassing the last two seasons, they’ll take the field Thursday at Cape Fear seeking their first conference tournament championship in program history.

”If you go in our gym and look on the wall, there are no conference (tournament) championships for baseball,” Lamb said. “So we’re hunting. Every year I tell these guys, what’s your legacy going to be? Are you going to raise the bar for the guys behind you? And these guys, they bought in, and we’re beginning to hopefully get there.”

The Pirates, meanwhile, most likely will see their season after Wednesday’s defeat.

“I hate it for the seniors; they’re a good group of seniors and I thought they led us well,” McLamb said.