GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University baseball team erupted for 10 runs in the sixth inning as the Pioneers rallied to a 13-4 non-conference win over visiting Mars Hill University Wednesday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
The Pioneers (15-20) sent 14 batters to the plate in the sixth as TU utilized six hits, two walks and a pair of MHU errors to overcome a 4-1 deficit. Will Samuelson and Christian Ortega each had a two-run single while Rudy Fernandez belted a two-run homer for his first round-tripper in a Pioneer uniform.
Fernandez went 2-for-4 on the afternoon with four RBI, while Ortega, Samuelson, Ryan Dos Santos, Luis Ezra and Kyle Williams all finished the day with a pair of hits.
Tusculum reliever Drew Slwinski pitched 2.2 hitless innings where he allowed one base runner and posted two strikeouts to record the win and move his record to 2-3 on the year.
Mars Hill (14-22) scored three runs in the top of the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. The Lions cracked out five hits in the frame including a two-run double by Chapel Matson and a RBI single off the bat of Chad Sikes.
Tusculum scratched out a run in the bottom of the third when Williams led off with an infield single, stole second and third and scored on a RBI groundout by Fernandez. The Pioneers were held to just two singles on the masterful pitching by MHU starter Brian Smart in his 83-pitch performance.
With Smart out of the game, the Pioneers had its first seven batters get aboard. The first run scored on a MHU throwing error on a bunt. Samuelson followed with a two-run single and would move to second on a Dos Santos pinch-hit single. Ezra drove in Samuelson with the inning's fourth run with his base hit and giving TU its first lead of the game at 5-4. Ezra and Dos Santos pulled off a double-steal. The throw to third base was off target, allowing Dos Santos to score and moving Ezra to third. After a walk to Brunet, Williams laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Ezra as the Pioneers led 7-4.
Fernandez follow with a two-run homer to left field to make it a 9-4 game. Ortega would cap off the 10-run frame with his two-run base hit as TU led 11-4.
Tusculum added a run each in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, Ezra led off with his eighth double of the season and later scored on Fernandez's infield hit. In the eighth, Samuelson singled, moved to third on Dos Santos ground-rule double. Ezra would drive in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring for Tusculum.
Tusculum finished the game with 13 hits, while the Lions accounted for 11 hits including a 3-for-4 effort by Scottie Lee. TU accounted for six stolen bases in the game including two by Williams.
The Pioneers will host arch-rival Carson-Newman University this weekend for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series, which is scheduled to begin on Friday with a 6 p.m. contest at Pioneer Park.
