GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The No. 15 Tusculum College baseball erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in the night-cap as the Pioneers split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with visiting Catawba College Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Park.

Catawba (9-7, 2-3 SAC) pounded out 15 hits, including Chad Baker's 4-for-5 effort as the Catawba Indians won 15-3 in the opener. In the second game, TC sent 11 batters to the plate in an eight-run sixth inning as Tusculum (7-6, 1-3 SAC) won 9-7 to gain the split and end a six-game losing streak.

In the first game, David Thomas went 3-for-5 with five RBI and three doubles, while Baker finished with a pair of two-baggers. Catawba plated four runs in the second, three in the fourth and exploded with an eight run, seventh inning, highlighted by Zach Evans three-run triple off the top of the center field wall.

Tim Smith got the win for Catawba as he improves to 2-2 on the season. Tusculum starter Raymond Ruggles suffered the loss as he evens his mark at 2-2.

In the second game, Catawba jumped out again and led 6-1, while taking advantage of four Tusculum errors including two in a three-run top of the sixth.

Tusculum batted around in their half of the inning as the Pioneers pounded out seven hits, including two each by Ricky Feliz and Maikol Gonzalez in the frame. Christian Rosa came through with a two-run single to get the Pioneers rolling. Matt Webb answered with a two-run double and Paul Finger tied the game with his RBI groundout. Feliz drove in Webb with the go ahead run and Gonzalez drove home two with his second triple of the game, tying a school record.

Tusculum reliever Ben Swaggerty picked up the win, while Mat Galens retired the final three batters, including a strikeout on the final out of the game to record his first save of the year.

The two teams will play the rubber-match of the three-game series on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.