GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Kyle Williams went 6-for-7 on the day with four RBI and five runs scored as the Tusculum University baseball team swept a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with visiting UVA Wise Friday night at Pioneer Park.
Gunner Becker pitched a seven-inning complete game in the opener as Tusculum prevailed 6-3, while the TU bats came alive in the night-cap, rattling off a season-high 19 hits in a 16-6 victory.
The Pioneers (5-1, 2-0 SAC) have won four in a row while the Cavaliers (0-3, 0-2 SAC) remain winless on the young season. The two teams will wrap up the four-game SAC series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
Game 1: Tusculum 6, UVA Wise 3
Tusculum posted a pair of three-run innings and held off a late charge by UVA Wise in winning the series opener 6-3.
Williams went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBI to lead the TU offense. Bryson Ford added a pair of hits including his first home run of 2021.
Becker (2-0) went the distance for his first complete game in his eight career starts at Tusculum. He recorded a career-best nine strikeouts as he allowed three runs, five hits and walked a pair in his 114-pitch outing.
In the bottom of the third inning, Chase Wullenweber reached on a one-out single, moved to second on Williams base hit and both moved up on a balk by Cavs starter Christian Smith. Wullenweber scored the first run of the game on Zane Keener's sacrifice fly. Williams stole third base and scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 TU lead. Bryson Ford made it a 3-0 game with his solo blast to left field.
Tusculum added three more runs in the fourth including a two-run double by Williams and he would score too on Ford's two-out single.
Becker blanked the Cavs through the first four frames before the visitors got a two-out homer from JoJo Kelliher. Wise added two more tallies in the sixth, also with two outs as Gabe Wurtz drew a walk and Ethan Fletcher homered to left field to trim the deficit to 6-3.
UVA Wise had the tying run on deck in the seventh, but Becker got out of the jam with a strikeout and a lineout to end the game.
Game 2: Tusculum 16, UVA Wise 6
The trio of Brandon Trammell, Luis Ezra and Kyle Williams accounted for three hits apiece as the Pioneers scored in six of the eight innings played as Tusculum prevailed 16-6 in eight innings.
Eight Tusculum batters finished with at least two hits including Trammel who went 3-for-5 with three RBI including his second home run of the season.
TU starting pitcher Nick Flesher (1-0) posted his first win of the year, going six innings, allowed three runs, one earned, scattered three hits, walked two and struck out seven. Harbor Jefferson finished the final two frames where he allowed three runs on three hits, walked two and struck out four.
Tusculum scored a pair of runs in the first inning thanks to RBI singles from Martin and Ezra. The Cavaliers answered with three runs in the top of the third inning to take a 3-2 lead.
But Trammell tied the game with his solo home run in the third inning and the Pioneers plated six runs in the fourth highlighted by a two-run homer from Jaden Steagall.
The Pioneers added three runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh, while UVA Wise scratched three runs in the top of the seventh.
Martin continues his assault on the TU record book as his two RBI gives him 153 for this career, which are the second-most in school history. He also climbed to within 11 hits of the program's all-time record held by TU sports hall of famer Josh Wolff (262, 2003-06).
