GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum second baseman Darien Farley went 4-for-4 and drove in all the runs the Pioneers would need as TU edged visiting Coker 2-1 Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
The Pioneers (13-4, 5-1 SAC) complete the three-game weekend sweep over the Cobras (9-11, 2-4 SAC), all by the narrowest of margins as TU recorded one-run victories in each.
Tusculum starter Brady Salyards (4-0) remained undefeated on the season as he went seven innings, allowed one run, four hits, four walks and posted four strikeouts in his 106-pitch performance. He had to work around four innings where the lead-off batter got aboard, but TU came up with some timely distance and Salyards got the outs when he needed them.
Offensively, the Pioneers racked up 13 hits but could manage only two runs and stranded 10 base runners including seven in scoring position.
Zane Keener went 2-for-4 including his sixth double of the year to extend his 13-game hitting streak. Tyler Ranel also had a pair of hits as he has reached base safely in his last 13 consecutive games. Shortstop Britten Robinson also had a multi-hit performance.
TU third baseman Christian Ortega recorded his team-leading seventh double of the season and drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 19 games in a row, dating back to last year.
Murphy Flood, the hero of Saturday's sweep of the Cobras, led off the sixth inning with a double and scored the eventual game-winning run on Farley's single to break a 1-1 tie.
Coker got on the board first when Kody Hanna led off the second inning with a base hit. He would still second and scored on Eli Hopkins RBI single. Tusculum answered with a run in the bottom of the second as Ortega led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Farley's single to right field.
With Tusculum leading 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning and with TU reliever Billy Quinn on the bump, Coker's Jacob Yarberry led off with a single. Quinn got a strikeout, but Wilkerson followed with a single to right to put the tying and go-ahead runners aboard. Jonathan Nelson, who earned the win in Saturday's second-game victory, took over on the hill. He got Donavan Frayer to ground out to first base, moving the runners into scoring positions with two outs. Coker's Cameron Ferrell grounded sharply to Ortega at third. His throw to first was high but first baseman Will Samuelson was able to apply the tag to Ferrell before he reached the bag to end the game.
Coker reliever Britton Adams (0-1) suffered the loss despite pitching masterfully in his 3.1-inning outing where he scattered six hits, allowed one run and struck out three.
Tusculum closes out its season-long 16-game home-stand on Tuesday when they host Cedarville for a 3 p.m. contest.
