GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The King University baseball team recorded a dozen hits and took advantage of four Tusculum errors as the Tornado defeated the Pioneers 6-5 Tuesday night at Pioneer Park.

King (8-4) jumped out to a 5-0 lead including a four-run third inning, but had to hold off a late charging Tusculum team which had bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

King's Davis Hall led the hit parade for the visitors as he went 4-for-5 with a RBI while Junior Renwick and Garret Huffman posted two hits apiece.

Tusculum outfielder Zane Keener went 3-for-5 with two RBI to extending his hitting streak to 10 in a row. Shortstop Ben Scartz has also hit safely in 10 consecutive games following his 2-for-4 performance. First baseman Will Samuelson went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles in the loss.

Ten batters went to the plate in the top of third inning as King utilized four hits, one walk and two errors to score four times and take a 4-0 lead. They tacked on another run in the sixth on Hall's two-out single for a 5-0 King lead.

Tusculum (10-4) took advantage of a pair of King errors in the bottom of the sixth as Christian Ortega drove in Tyler Ranel from third base with the Pioneers first run of the game.

In the TU seventh, Kayl Ratliff led off with a walk, moved to third on Samuelson's second double of the game to put runners in scoring position. After a strikeout and a pop up, Keener came through with a two-out double to center. Keener would score the third run of the inning on Scartz's RBI single.

King scored an important insurance run in the eighth inning as Chase Hilliard led off with a walk and moved to third on Huffman's base hit. Hilliard and Huffman pulled off a double-steal to bring home the run to make it a 6-4 game. Wes Bonney singled to left as Huffman was waved home, but Scartz's relay to home plate was in time to get the first out of the inning. Conner Hyatt was called for runner's interference when he put down a bunt and the throw hit him in the base line for the second out of the frame. After a two-out single by Hall, TU reliever got the final out of the inning with a strikeout.

With King leading 6-4 heading to the bottom of the ninth, Ranel reached on a one-out, two-base fielding error. Ranel moved to third on Keener's base hit and Scartz singled home Ranel to make it a one-run game (6-5). A walk to Ortega loaded the bases with one out.

King reliever Michael Cordova, who took over in the seventh inning, got a huge out when he fanned Rudy Fernandez. TU's Murphy Flood lined a shot to the left side of the infield, but right into the glove of Huffman at third base for the final out of the game.

King reliever Ray Berry was credited with the win as he pitched two shutout innings in his 35-pitch effort. Cordova earned his first save of the year as he tossed 2.1 innings, allowed an unearned run on four hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

Tusculum starter Billy Quinn suffered the loss to go to 1-1 on the year as he went 2.2 innings, allowed four runs, two earned, six hits, one walk and one strikeout. Alex Crosby went three innings for the Black and Orange as he allowed one run on a hit, a walk and three strikeouts. Nelson finished the game for Tusculum as he tossed 3.1 innings, allowed one run, five hits, and posted four strikeouts.

The Pioneers will host Coker University for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series this weekend beginning with Friday's 6 p.m. contest.