GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tyler Ranel went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI to lead Tusculum to a 10-4 non-conference win over arch-rival Carson-Newman Wednesday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
The Pioneers (1-2) pick up their first win of the season while snapping a six-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Tusculum finished the game with 11 hits as Wes Reynolds went 2-for-3 with two RBI, three runs scored and a home run. Christian Ortega also homered as he posted two hits and drove in three.
TU hurler Billy Quinn (1-0) picked up the win in relief as he went 4.1 innings where he struck out five while allowing two runs on three this and zero walks in his Pioneer debut.
Carson-Newman (2-4) had eight hits with five of them being doubles. Henry Jackson led the Eagles with his 3-for-3 performance at the plate.
C-N broke through in the top of the third when Trey Miller led off with a bunt single, moved to second on a bunt and scored on Dalton McLain's groundout. Jackson notched his second hit of the game and he would touch the plate on Mitchell Balint's third double of the season for a 2-0 Carson-Newman lead.
Tusculum answered with three runs in the bottom of third as eight Pioneers went to the dish. Ranel led off with a triple off the wall and scored when Max Schmarder reached on a C-N error. Reynolds would make the Eagles pay when he blasted a two-run homer down the left field line to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead.
TU tacked on three more runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 6-2. Reynolds led off with a walk and Will Samuelson reached on an error. Blaze McCauley legged out a squeeze bunt to bring home Reynolds. Ranel logged his third hit of the game with a two-out, two-run double.
The Pioneers added a run in the sixth thanks to Zane Keener's two-out single to bring home Ranel for a 7-2 advantage.
The Eagles scored two times in the eighth inning thanks to three doubles to make it a 7-4 contest. But the Pioneers got a three-run homer from Ortega to put the game out of reach.
Tusculum continues its season-long 16-game home-stand when they host Shorter this weekend for a three-game series at Pioneer Park.
