MARS HILL, N.C. --- Tusculum's Phillip Miller and Mason Huffstickler combined on a four-hit shutout in Saturday's opener as the Pioneers split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader at Mars Hill.
Tusculum posted its second straight shutout over the Lions as TU won the first game 9-0. In the second game, MHU's Brennan Williams fired a four-hit shutout as the Lions salvaged a 3-0 victory.
Tusculum wins the weekend series 2-1 to move to 10-19 overall and 5-10 in the conference. Mars Hill goes to 9-22 and 4-11 in the SAC.
Game 1: Tusculum 9, Mars Hill 0
For a second straight game, two Tusculum hurlers combined on a shutout as the Pioneers won 9-0.
Miller (2-3) pitched seven shutout innings as he recorded eight strikeouts while limiting the Lions to three singles and three walks. Huffstickler took over in the eighth and held MHU scoreless from there.
The Tusculum defense turned a season-high three double plays while six TU batters were hit by a pitch including two times each by Ryan Ortega and Sawyer Pace. The six Pioneers being hit by pitch are the third-most in program history.
Tusculum scored twice in the second inning when Max Schmarder drew a one-out walk and later scored on Landon Dockery's RBI triple. Dockery would score on a wild pitch as the Pioneers led 2-0.
TU added a run in the third when Ortega was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Ben Scartz's two-out single to right. Schmarder drove in the fourth run of the game with this two-out double in the sixth inning.
Tusculum put some distance between them and the Lions scoring five times in the ninth thanks to one hit, two walks, two hit batters and two MHU errors.
Mars Hill starter Dustin Dunlap suffered the loss to go to 0-4 on the year.
Game 2: Mars Hill 3, Tusculum 0
Williams posted eight strikeouts while limiting Tusculum to five total base runners as Mars Hill won the second game 3-0.
Williams (4-3) retired the first eight batters of the game before surrendering a two-out double to Pace.
Meanwhile, the Lions scored a run each in the second and third innings including a solo homer by Walker Fox off of TU starter Aiden Tipton.
Tipton (1-1) pitched four strong innings as he allowed two runs on four hits, one walk and two strikeouts. Scout Martin took over in the fifth where he retired the side in order thanks to a pair of strikeouts. He surrendered a solo homer to Chapel Matson in start the sixth inning to extend the lead to 3-0.
Of Tusculum's four hits, three went for doubles including one by Schmarder with two outs in the top of the seventh in the last at-bat. The double extends his hitting streak to 19 consecutive games which is tied for the 10th longest in school history. Schmarder has also reached base safely in 24 straight outings which ties him for the 11th longest streak by a Pioneer.
The Lions were led at the plate by Jackson Jones and Blake Russell who had two hits apiece.
Tusculum returns to Pioneer Park on Tuesday where they will play its next four at home. TU will host Lee University on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. contest and will host Emory & Henry for a SAC series next weekend.
