GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Outstanding pitching was on display Saturday afternoon as Tusculum University and Limestone University split a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader at Pioneer Park.
TU shortstop Ben Scartz went 2-for-4 with two RBI while Seth Willis pitched 6.1 strong innings as the Pioneers won the first game 3-1. Limestone's Marty Neal recorded 11 strikeouts and held the Pioneers to six hits as the Saints won the night-cap 2-1.
With Saturday's victory, Tusculum (16-6, 7-2 SAC) wins the weekend series 2-1. Limestone's win in the series finale was the Saints (8-13, 3-6 SAC) first victory in Greeneville in 11 tries and also snapped a nine-game losing skid to the Pioneers.
Game 1: Tusculum 3, Limestone 1
Scartz drove in the first two runs of the game and Jacob Willett pitched 2.2 innings in relief as Tusculum prevailed 3-1 in the opener.
Scartz and Murphy Flood had two hits apiece, while Willis (4-1) recorded his fourth straight win.
Meanwhile, Limestone starting pitcher Andrew Dye (1-4) tossed a complete game gem as he held the Pioneers to three runs on six hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts in his 98-pitch performance.
The Saints made some noise early as Zach O'Malley hit a two-out double in the first inning and moved to second on Dylan Shugan's single. But a Willis strikeout of Gavin Troyer ended the inning. Limestone got two aboard in the second frame as well, but Willis worked out of that jam too.
Tusculum was held hitless until the bottom of the fourth as Zane Keener led off with a single and stole second. Scartz lined a single up the middle to drive in Keener with the game's first run.
In the fifth, Blaze McCauley was hit by a pitch to lead things off. He moved to second on a bunt and scored on Scartz's base hit for a 2-0 Tusculum lead.
Willis overcame the shaky start and retired 11 in a row and 13 of 14 heading to the seventh. In that frame with one out, Wyatt Stone was hit by a pitch and moved to second on Jack Davis' single. Peter Adams singled to left field as Stone was held up at third. But when the TU outfielder bobbled the ball, the miscue was enough to drive in Stone and put the tying and go-ahead runs at second and third with one out.
Willett took over for Willis and struck out pinch-hitter Davis Turner and got Noah Love to fly out to end the inning.
Dye retired the Pioneers in order in the bottom of the seventh, but Willett followed with a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, Christian Ortega doubled off the wall in left and Flood followed with a RBI double to make it a 3-1 contest.
The Saints got the lead-off batter aboard in the ninth, but three straight outs ended the game and secured the save for Willett, his second of the year.
Adams, who went 4-for-4 on Friday, followed with a two-hit outing on Saturday as the Saints finished with seven hits as a team.
Game 2: Limestone 2, Tusculum 1
Limestone pitchers Marty Neal and Wyatt Stone combined for 14 strikeouts while stranding 10 Tusculum base runners as the Saints salvaged a 2-1 win in the series finale.
Neal went 5.2 innings while allowing one unearned run on six hits with two walks, two hit batters and 11 strikeouts in his 107-pitch game. Stone recorded the save in his first pitching appearance of the season.
The Pioneers had their scoring opportunities as Tusculum loaded the bases on three occasions.
Tusculum got on the scoreboard first in the opening frame when Tyler Ranel walked, moved to second on Keener's hit and both moved up a base when Ben Scartz got aboard via an error. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Pioneers could only manage one run thanks to Ortega's sacrifice fly. But Neal got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts to only be down 1-0.
The Saints answered with a run in the top of the second as Turner led off with a walk against TU starter Brady Salyards. After a fly out, Stone singled to left field and an error allowed the runners to move up a base. Janniel Berrora's ground out drove in Turner to tie the game at 1-1.
Limestone took its first lead of the day in the third inning when Davis led off with a single and later scored on O'Malley's sacrifice fly.
Salyards bounced back and retired eight of the next nine batters he would face including an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, the Saints has runners at first and third with one out. Drew Sliwinski took over on the mound for Salyards and Berroa laid down a squeeze bunt. Sliwinski came up with the ball and underhanded the toss to catcher Kaden Swaim who tagged Davis Turner out at the plate.
In the bottom of the inning, Will Samuelson hit a one-out single and moved to second on a ground out. Swaim was hit by a pitch as Stone moved from his infield position to the mound to face Ranel. Ranel drew a walk to load the bases, but Stone struck out Keener swinging to end the inning.
Stone completed the save as he retired the Pioneers in order including back-to-back strikeouts to end the game. He went 1.1 innings where he allowed a walk and struck out three.
Salyards (4-1) suffered his first loss of the year as he went 5.1 innings, allowed five hits, two runs, one earned, three walks and four strikeouts. Sliwinski pitched 1.2 shutout innings as he allowed a hit with a strikeout in his 21-pitch outing.
Tusculum will be on the road on Tuesday for a rematch against King University in Bristol for a 3 p.m. contest. TU will return home on Wednesday for a mid-week, non-conference game against SAC newcomer Emory & Henry.
