GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Christian Ortega went 7-for-8 on the day with a pair of doubles and four runs scored as Tusculum University swept a baseball doubleheader over visiting Shorter University Friday at Pioneer Park.

The Pioneers (3-2) won the opener 11-3 and rallied from a pair of early deficit to win 8-4 in the second game.

TU outfielder Wes Reynolds belted a home run in each game to give him three on the young season. He finished Friday with five RBI.

The Pioneers finished the day with 27 total hits with eight being of the extra-base variety including five doubles and three home run.

Game 1: Tusculum 11, Shorter 3

Ortega went 4-for-4 while Tyler Ranel and Patrick Usher each had three-hit performances in Tusculum's 11-3 win in the first game.

The Pioneers totaled 16 hits as eight different players found their way into the hit column including Ben Scartz who came off the bench and went 2-for-4.

Tusculum starter Luke Absher posted his second consecutive quality outing as he went six innings, while allowing two runs on seven hits, two walks and three strikeouts to record his first TU win.

The Pioneers got on the board in the first inning as Reynolds hit a three-run homer to left field for a 3-0 TU lead.

The Hawks plated their first run of the day when Kobe Jones scored on Logan Stockton's RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-1.

TU answered with a run in the bottom of third when Ranel and Scartz led off with back-to-back singles. Ranel would score later in the inning on Kaden Swaim's sacrifice fly.

Tusculum scored another run in the fourth when Kayl Ratliff walked to lead off the inning and later scored on a Shorter error.

Gavin Millians would blast a 434-foot solo home run over the scoreboard in left field to make it a 5-2 game.

The Pioneers would score two runs each in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings as Tusculum cruised to the series opening win.

Swaim recorded his first collegiate hit in the seventh inning with his solo home run to left field.

Kobe Jones and Justin Barnes each had a pair of hits for the Hawks as the team finished with nine safeties for the game.

Game 2: Tusculum 8, Shorter 4

Ortega went 3-for-4 and the duo of Zane Keener and Rudy Fernandez both had a pair of hits in Tusculum's 8-4 victory in the night-cap.

TU starter Seth Willis (1-1) overcame a shaky start and pitched five innings where he scattered three runs on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Scout Martin tossed the final two frames as he allowed one run on one hit while tallying a strikeout.

The Hawks jumped out of the gate as Millians belted a two-run blast to left field for his second home run of the day and an early 2-0 lead.

Tusculum answered with two runs in the bottom of the second highlighted by Britten Robinson's RBI single to knot the game at 2-2.

Tyler McWillie broke the tie in the third inning with his RBI single to drive in Millians, who led off the frame with a double.

The Pioneers rallied again scoring four times in the third inning as Reynolds hit a two-run homer to left and Fernandez stole third and scored on a throwing error on the play. Blaze McCauley doubled-in Will Samuelson for the inning's fourth run.

Fernandez came through again in the fourth inning with his two-run single for an 8-3 advantage.

The two teams will play a 1 p.m. game on Saturday for the weekend series finale.