GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum's Sean Cotten became the program's all-time home run leader in the opener, while Brevard's Casey Smith pitched a five-hit shutout as the two schools split a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday at Pioneer Park.

The Pioneers rallied with a four-run eighth inning in winning the first game 9-7, while the Tornados posted 10 hits to capture the night-cap 3-0. Tusculum (26-10, 14-7 SAC) wins the weekend series 2-1, but Brevard (12-22, 4-16 SAC) snaps the Pioneers seven-game winning streak.

Game 1: Tusculum 9, Brevard 7
(Box Score)

Cotten clubbed his 35th career homer, while also becoming the school's all-time leader in walks (99) as Tusculum rallied to a 9-7 victory over the Tornados.

Trailing 7-5 in the eighth inning, Tusculum sent 10 batters to the plate, while scoring four times, including a two-run single by Alexi Colon to tie the game and the eventual game-winning hit off the bat of Payden Houser. Branfy Arias added an insurance run thanks to his squeeze bunt.

Michael Franklin (4-2) picked up the win in relief as he went the final 2 2/3 innings, allowed five hits, two runs and posted two strikeouts.

Tusculum plated two runs in the first inning as Rolondo Bonner led off with a single and moved to third on Nate Reid's eighth double of the year. Both would score on back-to-back RBI ground outs by Cotten and Cody Coffman.

Brevard answered with a run in the second inning as Chris Christopoulos led off with a single, stole second and scored on Kramer Clark's two-out base hit.

Cotten got the run back himself with his lead-off homer in the fourth, a towering fly ball that cleared the left field fence, surpassing the previous school record held by 2010 SAC Player of the Year Jared Richmond, who hit 34 from 2009-2010.

Trailing 3-1, Brevard got a run back in the sixth, but Reid led off the bottom of the inning with his third round-tripper of the year and a 4-2 advantage.

Brevard plated three unearned runs in the seventh to take its first lead of the weekend at 5-4. With one out and two runners on, Champ Stuart sent a fly ball to the warning track in left field, where it bounced out of Bonner's glove to tie the game at 4-4. Stuart, who advanced to third base on the play, scored on a Franklin wild pitch.

After TC tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, Brevard regained the lead with two runs in the eighth. Steele Meyers led off with a single and moved to third base on Zack Merriken's fifth double of the year. Clark hit a sharp grounder to the right side where it bounced off the dirt and ricocheted off of Houser's face at second base and into left field, scoring Meyers and Merriken.

Brevard reliever Dustin Haithcox (0-2) suffered the loss for the visitors.

Reid went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while Colon went 1-for-1 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI. BC's Brandy O'Dell led all players with three hits, while Merriken and Clark tallied two apiece in the loss.

Game 2: Brevard 3, Tusculum 0
(Box Score)

Smith recorded his third complete game of the season, but first shut out as he scattered five hits, two walks and struck out five in a 3-0 win for Brevard.

The Tornados tallied 10 hits for a second time on the day as eight of the nine offensive starters recorded a hit, including Zak Beard's 3-for-3 performance.

Brevard plated a run each in the first, fourth and fifth innings, while also accounting for five stolen bases, including two by Beard.

Smith retired the first seven Pioneers he would face as his perfect game bid was broken up on Arias' base hit up the middle in the third inning.

Smith faced his first jam in the fourth inning as the Pioneers loaded the bases with two outs, but got Matt Henriksen to ground out to end the threat. TC would also strand two runners in each of the next two innings, including runners on the corners with one out in the sixth.

Smith retired the side in order in the seventh to cap his stellar 91-pitch performance.

Tusculum starter Jason Gardner (2-2) suffered the loss as he went 3 1/3 innings, allowed six hits, two runs, a walk and fanned three. TC reliever JD Howard pitched the final 3 2/3 innings, scattered four hits, one unearned run and posted three strikeouts.

Tusculum returns to action Tuesday afternoon as the Pioneers host Pfeiffer for a 7 p.m. contest.

- TC -