GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Tusculum jumped out to a 7-0 lead but had to hold off a late-inning charge as the Pioneers defeated Lee University 12-9 Tuesday night in a non-conference baseball game at Eastman Credit Union Field.
The Pioneers (11-19) pounded out 16 hits including three-hit performances by Jake Absher, Justin Millsaps and Jake Smith as TU snapped the Flames (19-11) three-game winning streak.
Tusculum scored twice in the first inning and plated five more in the third to take a 7-0 lead.
In the first, Ryan Ortega was hit by a pitch for a team-leading 14th time this season. He moved to second on Evan Goins‘ base hit and later scored thanks to a Lee error. Absher would come through with a RBI single to score Goins as TU went up 2-0.
In the third frame, Tusculum used seven hits and a walk to score five runs to extend the lead. Goins, Smith, Millsaps and Adrian Salas each had RBI hits while Absher had a sacrifice fly to drive in another.
Lee scored twice in the top of the fourth on Nate Caraballo’s two-out, two-run double to trim the deficit to 7-2.
Tusculum answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame, as Rector scored on a passed ball and Millsaps followed with a two-run single as TU extended the lead to 10-2.
The Pioneers added a run each in the fifth and sixth innings, while Lee posted one run apiece in the sixth and seventh as Tusculum led 12-4.
Lee made it interesting in the top of the ninth as the first five players got aboard including a RBI double from Casen Youngblood and a RBI single by Nate Caraballo as the Flames cut into the deficit at 12-6. TU closer Cooper Emery recorded a strikeout, before Braden Gabel clubbed a RBI single to load the bases as Lee trailed 12-7. Emery got the second out of the inning on a strikeout, but a bases loaded walk to Landon Franklin and Luke Collier reached on a two-out error to score another run as the eight-run deficit was trimmed to three (12-9) with the go-ahead run coming to the plate. But the Flames would pop out to end the game.
Reliever Luke Maicon (2-1) picked up his second win in as many appearances as he went 2.0 innings, allowed two unearned runs on two hits, one walk and fanned a pair. TU starter Will Webb pitched three hitless innings including the sides in order in the first and second frames.
The Pioneers return to action this weekend as they travel to Lincoln Memorial for a three-game series with the Railsplitters. Series begins with Friday’s 6 p.m. opener.
