NEWBERRY, S.C. --- Will Samuelson's three-run double proved to be the game-winner as the visiting Tusculum Pioneers knocked off nationally-ranked Newberry 8-5 Friday night at the Smith Road Complex.
Tusculum (11-12, 3-7 SAC) snaps the Wolves nine-game winning streak and hands Newberry (22-4, 6-1 SAC) its first league loss of the season.
The Pioneers record their seventh win over a nationally ranked team this season as Newberry entered the week listed 16th in the Collegiate Baseball News Division II Coaches' Poll and 13th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America media poll. Friday was the 13th game this year TU has played a ranked foe as the Pioneers entered the week with the fifth toughest schedule in the country.
Samuelson drove in four runs on the evening, while Wes Reynolds went 3-for-5 with a double and his team-leading fifth home run of the season.
Samuelson broke a 5-5 tie in the top of the eighth inning when the Pioneers loaded the bases with no outs. Samuelson would line a fifth double of the year to right centerfield to clear the bases and give TU a three-run lead.
Tusculum reliever Justin Parker pitched four shutout innings and got out of a trouble in every inning he pitched including a two-on and no outs scenario in the bottom of the eighth. Parker (2-1) scattered two hits, allowed one walk and struck out six.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 4-0 lead as Reynolds belted a solo home run in the first and followed with a two-run double in the second.
Newberry took advantage of a pair of TU errors in the bottom of the second to scored three times and trim the TU lead to 4-3.
Tusculum got a run back in the fifth as Christian Ortega led off with a hit and later scored on Blaze McCauley's one-out single to make it a 5-3 contest.
With TU starter Gunner Becker still aboard in the sixth, Newberry's Beau Thompson led off with a single and Donovan Ford drove him in with his triple to left field. Becker hit Jomar Lugo to put runners on the corners with one out as Parker took over on the mound. A fielder's choice brought home Ford from third with the tying run to knot the score at 5-5.
In the top of the eighth, Zach Wilson walked, Zane Keener reached on a bunt single and Reynolds singled for his third hit of the night to load the bases. Samuelson took a 2-1 pitch and deposited it into the gap to clear the bags and give TU an 8-5 lead.
Ford led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and later moved to second on a failed pickoff throw at first base. Lugo was hit by a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. Jonathan Velez bunted the runners over to second and third. But Parker got out of trouble with back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the lead.
In the ninth, Parker struck out SAC Player of the Week Braylin Marine and got a ground out. After surrendering a two-out single, Parker ended the game with a strikeout.
Tusculum accounted for 11 hits for the game as eight of the Pioneers' nine starters recorded a hit. Wilson was the only player to go hitless, but he scored two runs while drawing two walks and was hit by a pitch.
Reynolds extends his hitting streak to nine games in a row, while also reaching base safely for his 11th straight outing. Keener has reached base in his last 12 consecutive contests.
Newberry had seven hits led by Ford's 3-for-4 performance. Relief pitcher Kyler Baker suffered the loss to fall to 3-2 on the year, allowing three runs on three hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series with Saturday's doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
