GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Brice Anders pitched a gem in Sunday's second game as the Tusculum University baseball team split a pair of contests with the University of Illinois Springfield to wrap up a weekend three-game series at Pioneer Park.
The Prairie Stars won Friday's halted game on Sunday as UIS plated two runs in the top of the fifth inning to win 4-3. In the series finale, the Pioneers maximized their four hits to go along with seven walks as Tusculum prevailed 5-4.
Illinois Springfield (2-1) takes two of the three contests to take the weekend series. The Pioneers (2-4) snap a three-game losing streak with Sunday's victory.
Illinois Springfield 4, Tusculum 3 (completion of Feb. 9 halted game)
Ivan Dahlberg's RBI groundout proved to be the game-winner in UIS's 4-3 win in the completion of Friday's halted game which was stopped due to rain.
Heading to the top of the third inning to start Sunday play, the Stars had a 1-0 lead following Friday's solo home run in the second inning by Mack Clark. In the third, TJ Yakimisky hit the first of two sacrifice flies in the game as UIS led 2-0.
Tusculum answered in the bottom of the third when Avery Collins and Zach Wilson hit back-to-back singles and Zane Keener came through with a three-run homer to right field to give TU a 3-2 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Stars loaded the bases with no outs against TU's Seth Willis, who took over on the mound to start the day. Drew Sliwinski took over and Yakimisky drove in Jackson Blemler with the tying run with a sacrifice fly while also moving Brant Vanaman from second to third base. A stolen base by Matt Kattula followed by a Clark walk loaded the bases for Dahlberg, who grounded out to bring home Blemler with the go ahead run.
Reliever Jack Winterbauer, who began the day on the hill for UIS, retired the side in order in the fifth and worked around a single in the sixth before giving up the mound to freshman Kyle Tyler. Tyler pitched a perfect seventh inning, including strikeout to record his first collegiate save.
Winterbauer went four innings, allowed five hits, three runs and posted two strikeouts for the win. Willis (0-1) suffered the loss for Tusculum as he allowed three runs on three hits, four walks and a strikeout.
Tusculum 5, Illinois Springfield 4
Tusculum catcher Blaze McCauley went 2-for-3 and his RBI single in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the deciding run as the Pioneers won the series finale, 5-4.
TU starter Brice Anders (1-1) pitched brilliantly in his 5.1 innings of work while scattering seven hits, allowed one run with one walk and posted three strikeouts.
The Prairie Stars finished with a dozen hits in the game including Clark's 4-for-5 effort, while Blemler went 3-for-4 for the visitors.
Yakimisky led off the second inning with a single, stole second and scored on Clark's RBI single. Anders bounded back by getting the next three batters out including a strikeout to end the threat.
In the bottom of the second, Omar Carreras led off with a single, while Will Samuelson and McCauley drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. After a strikeout, Luis Reyes and Zach Wilson drew consecutive walks to give TU a 2-1 lead. Zane Keener followed by legging out a fielder's choice give make it a 3-1 advantage for the Pioneers.
Tusculum added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Murphy Flood drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Carreras' RBI double as the Pioneers stretch the lead to 4-1.
In the top of the seventh inning, Blemler hit a one-out double and Vanaman and Kattula drew walks to load the bases. Yakimisky worked a walk to cut the deficit to 4-2. Jonathan Nelson took over on the mound and got a fly ball for the second out of the inning. Flood came up with the defensive play of the game as he robbed Dahlberg of an extra base by diving off to his left and snagging the hard hit ground ball and tagged the base for the final out of the inning.
The Stars added another run in the top of the eighth on Vanaman's two-out single. But Nelson preserved the lead (4-3) by getting a ground out to end the threat.
Carreras reached on an error to start the TU eighth and moved to second on a Will Samuelson bunt. McCauley looped a single down the right field line to bring home Carreras with an insurance run.as TU led 5-3.
In the top of the ninth with one out, Clark doubled off the wall in left field. Ty Hollandsworth pinch ran for Clark at second base and moved to third base on a ground out. Pinch hitter D. Ezard singled home Hollandsworth to cut the TU lead to 5-4.
Brady Salyards took over on the mound for Nelson and proceeded to throw a wild pitch to move the tying run into scoring positon. But Salyards got Johnny Colombo to fly out to end the game and record the save.
The Pioneers return to action on Tuesday when they host arch rival Carson-Newman for a mid-week, non-conference game at 2 p.m.
