GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Taylor Foster hit a three-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning as the Tusculum College baseball team rallied to a 9-6 South Atlantic Conference win over Coker College on a rainy, cold Saturday night at Pioneer Park.

Foster went 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBI, while senior reliever Scott Simmons pitched 8 2/3 innings of stellar relief as Tusculum (21-11, 10-8 SAC) rallied from 6-0 deficit for the Pioneers' third straight win and fifth victory in their last six outings.

Saturday marked Tusculum fourth 10-inning game this season and third in its last four contests.

The game itself was an act of attrition by both teams in waiting over four hours to start the game due to a steady rain that hit the East Tennessee region.

Coker (16-13, 7-11 SAC) jumped out of the gate as the first five batters all reached base and would eventually score against TC starter Michael Scott. T.J. Giczkowski provided a RBI single, while Ernie Kirkwood followed with a two-run base hit to highlight the five-run frame for the Cobras. Scott retired one batter in the inning as Simmons relieved him in the first.

Coker added another run in the second inning when Shea Bell led with double and scored on Sammy Song's base hit and a 6-0 lead for the Cobras.

Tusculum scored an unearned run in the second off of Coker starting pitcher Matt Prosser. John Topoleski reached on a one-out single and later scored on a fielding error. TC got another run in the fifth inning when Trey Drewery doubled to left and crossed the plate on Foster's two-run single to trim the deficit to 6-2.

Simmons and the Tusculum defense kept the Cobras off the scoreboard after the second inning. Simmons scattered eight hits and did not walk a batter, while the Pioneers turned three double plays to remain within striking range.

Tusculum tied the game in the seventh inning as the first four Pioneers reached base and would all eventually score. Tullidge walked and scored on Drewery's double off the centerfield wall. Heath Comerford was hit by a pitch and Drewery later moved to third on a wild pitch. Andrew Goot relieved Prosser to face Foster, who answered with his second hit of the evening to drive in Drewery and advance Comerford to third base. Comerford scored on wild pitch and Topoleski later drove in the tying run with his one-out single to even the game at 6-6.

Tusculum threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Pioneers loaded the bases with two outs, but Goot got a strikeout of pinch-hitter Jalen Shuffler to keep the game deadlocked at 6-6.

Simmons retired the Coker side in order in the ninth inning, but Goot surrendered just a one-out single as the game went into extra innings.

The Cobras made some noise in the top of the 10th as Jarren Donato led off with a base hit off of Simmons. Senior Billy Sivyer took over to face Giczkowski, who moved Donato over to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Kirkwood was hit by a pitch and Fico Kondla drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Sivyer got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.

In the bottom of the 10th, Drewery reached on a one-out walk and moved to second on Comerford's infield hit to set the table for Foster. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Foster sent a high drive deep into the rainy, wind-filled sky for his third home run of the season and the biggest hit of his Tusculum career.

Sivyer (2-1) picked up the win as he walked one and struck out two in his inning of work. But the star on the mound was Simmons as he walked none and struck out five in his 120-pitch performance in the no-decision. Goot suffered the loss for the Coker falling to 1-3.

Drewery went 4-for-4 at the plate, while scoring a team-high three runs to add to his SAC-leading total of 40 runs scored this year. Topoleski added a 3-for-5 performance at the plate, while Comerford and Chris Waylock contributed two-run performances as the Pioneers finished with 16 hits on the night.

Coker tallied 11 hits, including two-hit efforts by Son, Donato and Kondla. Kondla also recorded his SAC-leading 20th stolen base, while Giczkowski posted his 16th on the year.

The two teams will wrap up the weekend series with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Pioneer Park.

- TC -