Posted: Apr 06, 2019
ANDERSON. S.C. --- The Tusculum University baseball team won its sixth straight South Atlantic Conference series as the Pioneers split Saturday's doubleheader at Anderson University.
The Pioneers got three-hit performances from Daulton Martin and Zack Finchum as Tusculum won the opener 9-3. In the second game, Jackson Strange's solo homer in the sixth inning proved to be the game-winner as the Trojans salvaged a 4-3 victory in the series finale.
Tusculum (26-15, 13-5 SAC) remains in fourth place in the league standings with six SAC games remaining. Saturday's game one victory also secured the Pioneers a winning season.
Game 1: Tusculum 9, Anderson 3
Martin and Finchum's three-hit performances led a 12-hit parade as Tusculum captured the first game 9-3.
TU's Wes Reynolds continued his hot-hitting as he went 2-for-5 with three RBI while Seth DeHaven finished with two RBI including his first home run of 2019.
Anderson was led by Will O'Brien and Cody Adams as they finished with two hits apiece in the loss.
Tusculum reliever Mitch McCain (3-1) earned the victory as he tossed four innings while allowing four hits, one unearned run, one walk and four strikeouts. TU starter Zach Sanders had almost the exact same pitching line as McCain with his two runs allowed were also both unearned.
Anderson took advantage of a one-out throwing error on a bunt that put runners at second and third. Sanders got a strikeout and a fly out, but gave up a two-run triple to Matthew Overton for a 2-0 AU lead.
Tusculum cut the deficit in half when Finchum scored on Martin's SAC-leading 21st double of the year to trim the deficit to 2-1.
TU tied the game in the fourth when Reynolds hits a two-out single to bring home Trey Hinton to knot the game at 2-2.
The Pioneers scored twice in the fifth inning on a Nate Montgomery sacrifice fly and Hinton suicide squeeze as the Pioneers led 4-2.
DeHaven hit a two-run home run in the sixth and the Pioneers tacked on two more runs in the seventh to provide the final margin of victory.
Game 2: Anderson 4, Tusculum 3
Strange hit the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and Christian Carpenter pitched two shutout innings of relief as Anderson won 4-3.
After a scoreless first two innings, the Trojans plated a pair of runs in the third inning to take a 2-0 advantage.
Tusculum got one of the runs back in the fourth inning as Bryson Ford reached on an error, moved to second with his team-leading 23rd stolen base. And scored on Hinton's RBI single. The Trojans got a lead-off double from Strange and a two-out double from Adams to increase the lead to 3-1.
TU tied the game with two runs in the fifth including a two-out single from Martin to knot the score at 3-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Strange led off the frame with a solo blast off of reliever Andrew Willis (2-3).
The Pioneers got the lead-off batter aboard in the seventh inning when Reynolds led off with a base hit. Sam Urban came into pinch run for Reynolds but he was thrown trying to steal second base for the first out of the inning. Carpenter got a pop up and a strikeout to end the game.
Tusculum returns to action on Tuesday with a rematch at King University at 3:30 p.m. Tusculum defeated the Tornado 19-4 last month in Greeneville.
