GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Wes Reynolds belted a three-run homer and Brady Salyards pitched five strong innings to lead Tusculum University to a 6-5 win over Shorter University in non-conference baseball action at Pioneer Park.
After starting the season 0-2 last weekend, the Pioneers (4-2) posted a perfect 4-0 record this week including a three-game sweep of the Hawks (3-4).
Salyards (1-0) scattered two runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in his 105-pitch performance to record his first win of the season.
With Tusculum holding onto a 6-5 lead in the eighth inning with two runners aboard, TU graduate student Jacob Willett came aboard and got a pick off of the runner at second base to preserve the one-run lead. Willett would retire the ninth inning in order to secure the save.
With Tyler Ranel and Christian Ortega getting aboard with walks in the first inning, Reynolds crushed his fourth home run in as many games as Tusculum took a 3-0 lead.
Shorter answered in the bottom of inning on Justin Barnes' two-out, two-run single to trim the deficit to 3-2.
SU reliever Carson Cook, who came on in the second inning, pitched magnificent in his 5.2 innings on the mound as he allowed one unearned run, two hits and struck out three to keep the game a one-run contest until the seventh.
Tusculum batted around as the Pioneers scored three times as Zane Keener drew a bases loaded walk and Ben Scartz hit a two-run single to center for a 6-2 Pioneer lead.
In the eighth, Shorter's Kody Krause led off with a triple and later scored on a ground out. The Hawks loaded the bases with one out as Kobe Jones ground out to bring home the inning's second run. Gavin Millians legged out an infield single as SU trailed 6-5 before Willett's heroics.
The Pioneers will continue their 16-game home-stand next weekend as Tusculum hosts Davis & Elkins for a three-game series.