GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University pitcher Sam Loew record his second straight win as the Pioneers split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University Friday at Pioneer Park. Lenoir-Rhyne is ranked 20th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Division II Coaches Poll and 11th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America Media Poll.
L-R's Brett Eurey drove in the game-winning runs with his 10th inning single as the Bears posted a 6-4 victory in the opener. Tusculum (10-10, 2-6 SAC) bounced back with a pair of three-run innings in the second game as the Pioneers posted a 6-2 victory.
The Bears (22-2, 4-1 SAC) extended their school-record 19-game winning streak with Friday's win, while also snapping a four-game losing streak in Greeneville. L-R pitchers recorded 28 strikeouts on the afternoon including 18 in the opener which establishes a new TU single-game record for most times being struck out, surpassing the 17 strikeouts at Newberry in 2011.
Tusculum has recorded six wins this year over nationally-ranked opponents which are the fourth-most in a season in program history. The 2005 squad tallied a TU-best nine wins over ranked foes, while the 2008 and 2009 clubs notched seven victories over nationally-ranked programs.
Game 1: No. 20/11 Lenoir-Rhyne 6, Tusculum 4 (10 innings)
Brett Eurey came through in his only plate appearance of the day as he hit a two-out, two-run single in the top of the 10th inning as Lenoir-Rhyne posted a 6-4 win for the program's 19th straight win.
L-R reliever Spencer Floyd pitched two shutout innings and recorded four of his six outs via strikeout to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Both teams finished with seven hits apiece but the L-R pitching trio of Floyd (4), Jackson Reid (2) and starter Andrew Patrick (12) fanned 18 Pioneers in the game. Patrick recorded his first no-decision of the season in his six starts.
The Bears jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to Brayden Collett's two-out single in the second inning. TU evened the score with a run in the bottom of the inning as Christian Ortega led off with an infield hit and scored on a Rudy Fernandez double. TU took the lead at 2-1 in the next inning on Wes Reynolds solo homer down the left field line, his fourth round-tripper of the season.
Lenoir-Rhyne regained the lead with a three-run fifth inning to go up 4-2. Tusculum knotted the score at 4-4 on Will Samuelson's two-run towering shot down the right field line.
In the top of the 10th, Luis Atiles drew a lead-off walk against reliever Jacob Willett. After a foul out on a failed bunt attempt, Anthony Porrino walked to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Drew Sliwinski took over on the mound and struck out Matt Mackey for the second out. A walk to Collett loaded the bases setting the table for Eurey.
Reid and Floyd held the Pioneers at bay over the final four innings, retiring nine of the last 10 batters to seal the victory.
Fernandez led the Pioneers with his two hits, while Collett was the lone Bear with a pair of hits.
TU starter Gunner Becker went four innings, allowed five hits, three runs, two earned, walked two and struck out four in the no-decision. Justin Parker tossed 4.1 innings for the home team as he allowed an unearned run on one hit and a walk.
Game 2: Tusculum 6, No. 20/11 Lenoir-Rhyne 2
Tusculum starting pitcher Sam Loew pitched five strong innings, while Gage Newsom and Brady Salyards posted pitched one shutout inning each as the Pioneers posted a 6-2 victory in the night-cap.
Tusculum scored three runs each in the first and third innings, while the TU pitching trio made it stick thanks to some timely defense behind them.
In the bottom of the first, Fernandez reached on an error, moved to second when Zane Keener was hit by a pitch and scored on Reynolds' fourth double of the season. Keener scored from third on a passed ball and Samelson singled home the third run with his two-out hit up the middle.
Lenoir-Rhyne cut into the lead in the second inning as Porrino led off with a single, moved to second when Collett was hit by a Loew pitch. Both runners would move into scoring position on David Bell's bunt. Porrino crossed the plate on Stober's ground out, but Loew fanned Wade Cuda for the final out of the frame.
In the third inning, Keener was plunked again to lead off the frame. He moved to third on Reynolds' base hit. Luis Ezra drove in Keener with his fly out and Zack Wilson drove in Reynolds with a triple. Caleb Cockerham took over for Edwards on the mound and hit Samuelson with a pitch. Wilson would make it a 6-1 lead when he scored from third on Jaden Steagall's fielder's choice.
The Bears looked to have a rally going in the fourth as Nick Clarno and Porrino reached on back-to-back singles. Loew fanned Collett for the first out prior to Bell's RBI double to bring in Clarno to make it a 6-2 game. But Loew got out of the jam with a foul out and a ground out to end the threat.
Lenoir-Rhyne would get a base runner aboard in each of the final three innings, but the Pioneers kept the Bears off the scoreboard and got a pair of dandy defensive plays from the TU outfield down the stretch including a diving catch by Reynolds in left field for the final out of the game.
Like the first game, both teams finished with seven hits apiece. Reynolds accounted for two hits for the Pioneers, while Porrino added two hits to his ledger.
Loew improves to 2-0 on the season as he went five innings, scattered six hits, allowed two runs, zero walks and three strikeouts.
Edwards suffered the loss for the Bears to go to 2-1 on the season. He went 2.1 innings, allowed six runs, three earned, four hits, zero walks and five strikeouts.
The two teams will conclude the three-game series on Sunday with a 3 p.m. single game at Pioneer Park.
