JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Luis Ezra and Jaden Steagall recorded three hits and three RBI each to lead the Tusculum University baseball team to a 9-4 non-conference victory over rival Carson-Newman University Wednesday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Complex.
The Pioneers (4-4) finished the game with 12 hits as the visitors led wire-to-wire to record its fourth road win over the Eagles (7-2) in their last five trips to Jefferson City.
Tusculum jumped out to a 7-0 lead plating a run in the second inning and two runs each in the third, fourth and fifth frames. C-N answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth to draw within 7-3.
But the Pioneers got a two-out, two-run double by Steagall in the top of the eighth to put some distance between TU and the Eagles.
Daalen Adderley recorded a pair of singles and scored twice, while Bryson Ford drew three walks and posted a stolen base.
Tusculum got on the board in the second with an unearned run and in the third inning, Fuzzy Furr had a RBI hit and Steagall followed with a RBI double for a 3-0 TU lead.
In the fourth inning, Adderley led off with single and Ezra blasted a two-run homer to right field to extend the lead to 5-0. For Ezra, it was his second homer of the year.
With TU leading 7-0, Carson-Newman scored twice in the bottom of the fifth as Zach Boze scored on a wild pitch and Charlie Brown touched the plate on a fielder's choice to make it a 7-2 game.
After C-N tacked on another run in the sixth, but the Pioneers responded with two runs in the eighth on Steagall's two-run double. Carson-Newman's Mike Wroth hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to provide the final margin.
Each team used five pitchers in the game as TU's Keegan Ernest (1-0) was credited with the win in a scheduled start as he tossed two shutout innings, allowed one hit and struck out two. C-N starter Nate Deloian (0-1) was charged with the loss.
Tusculum hosts NCAA II Tournament participant Gannon University this weekend for a four-game series at Pioneer Park. The two teams will play a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Friday, followed by a 12 p.m. twinbill on Saturday. It begins a nine-game home-stand with eight straight games against teams who advanced to NCAA postseason play a year ago.
