JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Brandon Trammell recorded a double, a home run and five RBI on the day to spark 12th-ranked Tusculum to a doubleheader sweep over host Carson-Newman Monday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference action at the Silver Diamond Complex.
Tusculum broke open a 3-3 tie with a 5-run sixth inning and held off a furious C-N charge in the bottom of the seventh to hold onto an 8-7 win in Monday's opener. TU rallied from two-run deficit in the night-cap, posting a three-run and six-run inning en route to a 16-7 victory in the series finale.
The Pioneers (25-8, 21-7 SAC) win the four-game set, 3-1 and remain just percentage points behind league front-runner Catawba heading into the final weekend of the conference season. Tusculum dropped the series opener on Sunday to the Eagles, but rallied to win the final three games of the series. It is TU's sixth SAC series win of the year and the Pioneers have won seven of its last nine outings in Jefferson City.
Game 1: No. 12 Tusculum 8, Carson-Newman 7
Trammell drove in four RBI including his two-run double in Tusculum's 5-run sixth inning, while TU closer Mitch McCain got a strikeout and a pop-up with the bases-loaded as the Pioneers prevailed 8-7 over Carson-Newman.
Following Sunday's doubleheader split where both teams played nearly flawless baseball as each posted 5-3 wins, Monday's first game was a carbon-copy as well.
Carson-Newman took a 1-0 lead on Harrison Travis' RBI single, while TU answered in the top of the second on Trey Hinton's two-out RBI hit to bring home Zane Keener. C-N regained the lead on Tyler Thompson's sacrifice fly in their half of the second, but TU plated a run each in the third and fourth innings to take its first lead of the day. Trammell drove in both runs with his RBI single and drew a bases loaded walk as the Pioneers led 3-2.
Carson-Newman tied the game at 3-3 on Matt Parkinson's single down the right field line. But on the play, Trammell provided the play of the game as he threw out Daughtry at third base for the second out of the inning. TU reliever Trent Collins got out of the jam with a ground out.
In the sixth inning, Chase Wullenweber drew a one-out walk while Daulton Martin was hit by a pitch and Bryson Ford drew a walk to load the bases for Trammell. The Eagles went to the bullpen to bring in closer Tyler Shaver, who picked up the save in Sunday's first game. This time, Trammell came through with a ground-rule double to drive in Ford and Martin for a 5-3 Tusculum lead. After strikeout of Wes Reynolds, Keener doubled to right to score Trammell and Ford. Daalen Adderley tacked on an important run with his RBI single as the Pioneers led 8-3.
TU relief pitcher Justin Parker took over for Collins and retired the Eagles in order in the bottom of the sixth. The Pioneers went quietly in the top of the seventh setting the table for the drama about to unfold in the bottom of the frame.
Thompson opened with a double, Jackson drew a walk and Travis reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with no outs. Daughtry was hit by a Parker pitch to bring home the first run of the inning. McCain took over and immediately faced control issues walking Parkinson and Zach Boze to make it an 8-6 game. McCain got an infield pop-up for the first out, but he walked Charlie Brown to bring C-N to within a run and only one out.
Pinch-hitter Jacob Hoffman worked the count to 3-1, but McCain worked his way back and got a huge strikeout and bring the hot-hitting Thompson to the plate. On a 1-2 pitch, McCain ended the game as Thompson popped up to Hinton at first base as the Pioneers held on for the win.
Collins (1-0) picked up his first win of the season while McCain sealed his seventh save of the year, which are the most in the conference and tied for the fifth-most in a TU season.
McCain is two saves away from tying the single-season record posted by John-Austin Shepard in 2013. McCain has 14 career saves which are tied for fourth place all-time at Tusculum with Devan Watts (2015-2016).
Hinton finished the game going 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Tusculum posted nine walks including three by Ford and two from Martin.
Thompson posted two doubles for the Eagles, while Parkinson also had a two-hit game for the hosts.
Game 2: No. 12 Tusculum 16, Carson-Newman 7
Wullenweber went 3-for-4 with three RBI as the Pioneers defeated Carson-Newman 16-7 in the second game to clinch the SAC series.
Tusculum racked up 16 runs on 16 hits including a 3-for-5 effort by Murphy Flood and two hits and three runs driven in by Hinton.
Alec Lay (1-0) provided a boost from the bullpen as he pitched 3.1 shutout innings, while the Pioneers rallied with three runs in the sixth and put the game out of reach with six more in the eighth.
Carson-Newman scored a run in the first inning on a Daughtry two-out single off of starter Tyler Harmon. Wullenweber answered with some two-out magic of his own with his two-run double in the top of the second to bring home Hinton and Flood.
The Eagles regained the lead with a two-run homer from Brown and Thompson added a RBI single as C-N lead 4-2. In the top of the third, Trammell blasted his 11th home run of the year, a solo shot to right to spark a four-run inning. Flood later had a run-scoring infield single to tie the game at 4-4 and Hinton later followed with a two-out, two-run single to retake the lead for the Pioneers at 6-4.
Carson-Newman tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs. In the TU sixth, Ford doubled home Wullenweber and Fuzzy Furr hit a RBI single. Daalen Adderley capped the scoring in the sixth with his RBI base hit to left. The Pioneers batted around in the eighth as Tusculum scored six times and Reynolds hit a solo homer to center field in the ninth to wrap-up the scoring for the Pioneers.
In Monday's opener, Ford recorded his 49th career stolen base which ties him for second place with former TU All-American Maikol Gonzalez (2007-2008). Ford is two base thefts away from tying TU Sports Hall of Famer Josh Wolff who posted 51 stolen bases from 2003-2006.
Tusculum will be on the road on Wednesday for a mid-week regional match-up at Belmont Abbey beginning at 4 p.m. The Pioneers will close out the regular season this weekend when they host SAC newcomer Limestone for a four-game set beginning with Saturday's 2 p.m. doubleheader.