CLEVELAND, Tenn. --- Cam Suto went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a home run to lead 15th-ranked Lee University to a 10-5 non-conference baseball win over visiting Tusculum University Wednesday afternoon at Carpenter Stadium.
Lee (29-10) avenges last month's 6-4 loss to the Pioneers (20-18) in Greeneville.
The Flames jumped out to an 8-0 lead, plating two runs each in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings. Lee used four pitchers to blank the Pioneers through the first seven frames before TU erupted for five runs in the top of the eighth to trim the deficit to 8-5.
Brandon Daniels went 2-for-5 with a RBI and Josiah Miller went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and scored three runs.
Suto opened the scoring in the first with a two-run homer to left field. In the second inning, Miller led off with a double, Riley Black walked and Ashton Simmons reached on an infield single to load the bases. Dylan Standifer drew a walk to bring home Miller and Suto picked up his second hit of the game with his infield single to make it a 4-0 game.
The Flames scored two more in the fourth and got a two-run homer by Black as Lee led 8-0.
The Pioneers out-hit the Flames by a 13-10 margin, with eight of those coming in five-run, eighth as TU sent 12 batters to the plate. Tusculum had its chances, leaving a dozen runners on base.
TU's Murphy Flood went 3-for-5, while Zach Wilson, Omar Carreras, Jayden Singleton and Will Samuelson had two hits apiece. Samuelson's second hit of the after came on a two-run homer.
Lee reliever Z. Lawson pitched 2.2 shutout innings where he recorded three strikeouts and worked around three TU hits and a walk to even his season record at 2-2. TU starter Mason Huffstickler (0-2) suffered the loss.
Tusculum returns to Pioneer Park on Friday for a four-game home-stand beginning with this weekend's South Atlantic Conference series with UVA Wise. Series begins on Friday at 6 p.m. followed by Saturday's 1 p.m. doubleheader. It is also Senior Weekend at Tusculum as the Pioneer seniors will be honored prior to Saturday's first game.
