HARTSVILLE, S.C. — The Coker University baseball team scored three times in the sixth inning and Benjamin Blackwell pitched six strong innings in relief as the Cobras defeated visiting Tusculum 9-6 Friday night at Tom J. New Field.
Coker (21-14, 12-7 SAC) took advantage of three Tusculum errors and posted 11 hits on the evening, including Jaylen Mack’s 3-for-5 performance which included two runs scored and two RBI, including the go-ahead RBI in the sixth.
Tusculum (20-15, 14-8 SAC) had its chances as the Pioneers accounted for nine hits and drew nine walks but left 13 runners on base.
Blackwell (6-0) remained undefeated on the year as he scattered four hits, three walks, and struck out six while allowing one run in his 84-pitch outing. He finished strong, retiring nine straight TU batters to end the game.
Tusculum jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first thanks to four walks and a Coker error. The Cobras answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame including a two-run double by Hunter Poole and RBI hits from Cameron Ferrell and Kody Hanna.
Coker added a run in the bottom of the second before Tusculum scored a run in the third and two more in the fourth to tie the game at 5-5. In the third, Zach Wilson led off with a single and later scored on Avery Collins‘ single. In the fourth, Will Samuelson legged out an infield single to drive in Murphy Flood with the game-tying run.
Coker regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to Mack’s RBI base hit. The Pioneers tied the game again at 6-6 as Luis Reyes drew a one-out walk and later scored on a Ben Scartz RBI single.
In the bottom of the sixth, Luke Peterson got aboard with a one-out walk and moved to second on Jacob Yarberry’s base hit. Mack singled to center to bring home Peterson with the go-ahead run and an outfield error on the play allowed Yarberry to score from first to make it an 8-6 contest. Ferrell drove in the final run of the inning with his sacrifice fly to right field to make it a three-run game (9-6).
Tusculum reliever Jonathan Nelson (1-2) suffered the loss as he went two innings and allowed three runs with one being earned, two hits and a walk. TU’s Caid Sanders kept the Pioneers in striking distance as he pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings with two strikeouts.
Scartz, Wilson and Samuelson each had two hits apiece for the Pioneers. Zane Keener, Murphy Flood and Samuelson all reached base three times apiece.
The teams will wrap-up the weekend series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
