CLEVELAND, Tenn. --- Tusculum scored five times in the ninth inning, including Dante Key's game-tying two-run homer and Edison Cabrera's two-out infield single to drive in the winning score as the Pioneers rallied to a 13-10 road victory at Lee University Tuesday night at Olympic Field.
Tusculum improves to 20-8 on the season as the Pioneers record its 11th consecutive victory to tie for the seventh longest winning streak in program history. The triumph also logged TC's 18th straight 20-win campaign.
It was a roller-coaster night for both teams as Tusculum jumped out to 5-0 lead in the first inning, only to see the Flames (20-10) score 10 unanswered runs themselves. TC followed with eight straight runs, including seven over the final two innings.
TC senior reliever Tyler Hall (1-0) pitched three shutout innings with five strikeouts to record his first collegiate win.
Jeremy Glore led the Pioneers at the plate as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Daulton Martin posted a pair of doubles and scored three runs, including the go-ahead score in the ninth on Cabrera's infield chopper.
The Pioneers sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning as TC amassed five hits, including a two-run double from Martin and RBI singles from Nick Lacina and Zack Finchum as Tusculum led 5-0.
The Flames went through its batting order in the first as well as Lee scored three times to trim the deficit to 5-3.
Lee batted around again in the third inning as the Flames utilized three hits and four walks to score five runs to take an 8-5 advantage. The big hit of the frame came on Peyton Meeker's two-run double, his ninth of the season.
The Flames scratched two more runs in the fifth inning to move out to a 10-5 advantage.
Tusculum posted a two-out rally in the sixth when Cabrera got on with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Glore's sixth double of the season.
Hall came aboard in the bottom of the sixth and held the Flames at bay as he retired nine of the first 10 batters he would face, including a stretch of seven in a row to keep the Pioneers within striking distance.
In the eighth inning, Martin led off with a double to center field as he coasted into second base with his seventh double of the year. Cole Baxley drew a walk and the runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Martin scored on Finchum's RBI ground out and Baxley scored on a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 10-8.
In the top of the ninth, senior John Topoleski reached on a one-out single setting the table for Key, who launched his two-run blast to right field for his fourth round-tripper of the season to tie the game at 10-10.
Martin followed with a walk and on Cole Baxley's fielder's choice, moved to third on a Lee fielding error to put runners on the corners. After Baxley stole second and with a drawn in infield, Finchum sent a fly ball down the right field line, but outfielder Zack Zyburt made a great running catch to keep Martin at third. Cabrera stepped up and hit a chopper that landed between the pitcher and shortstop as he legged it out and brought home Martin with the go-ahead run. Glore added an insurance run with his RBI single up the middle to bring home Baxley and move Cabrera to third. TC added the fifth run of the inning when Glore was picked off at first base, but during the ensuing run down, Cabrera scored from third base.
The Flames would attempt to rally in the ninth as Jordan Howard and Geremy Walton led off with back-to-back singles. McKenly Berry came aboard to relieve Hall, but he was greeted by a base hit from Tyler Payne to load the bases and bring up the winning run to the plate. But Berry battled back with back-to-back strikeouts and got a ground out to end the game and secure his second save of 2017.
Tusculum finished the contest with 13 hits, while the Flames tallied 10 hits to go along with 10 walks as Lee left 11 runners on base. Lacina's single in the first inning extended his career-best 15-game hitting streak.
The Pioneers return home this weekend to begin a three-game South Atlantic Conference series against in-state foe Lincoln Memorial, starting with Friday's opener at 6 p.m.
