GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University baseball team split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with Mars Hill University Friday afternoon at Eastman Credit Union Field.
The Pioneers got all the offense it would need in two big innings as TU won the opener 9-3. MHU's Gavyn Miller drove in the game-winning run in the top of the 11th inning as the Lions prevailed 3-2 in the night-cap.
Tusculum (12-24, 6-17 SAC) and Mars Hill (18-18-1, 13-9-1 SAC) will play the rubber game on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 9, Mars Hill 3
Tusculum scored five runs in the first inning and four more in the fourth as the Pioneers posted a 9-3 win over the Lions.
TU finished the contest with 10 hits, while Jack Gagen tallied three RBI and Nick Satterly belted his third home run in the last two games.
Tusculum freshman Aidan Sproles (1-2) recorded his first collegiate win as he posted a quality start with six innings of work, allowed three runs on five hits, zero walks and seven strikeouts. Aiden Tipton blanked the Lions over the final three innings to secure his first save of his career.
In the bottom of the first, Tusculum took advantage of four hits and a pair of MHU errors to score five times. Evan Goins and Landon Dockery both singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Alejandro Ponte drew a walk to load the bases. Gagen came through with a two-run single to make it 2-0. On the play, there was a throwing error, moved Gagen and Ponte up a base as TU had runners at second and third. Kolby Watson drove in the third run of the frame with his sacrifice fly. Satterly made it 5-0 with his towering home run to left field. For Satterly, it was his third career collegiate hit, all home runs.
The Lions chipped away at the deficit in the third as Terick Bumgarner led off with a single and scored on Peyton Starkey's triple down the right field line. Starkey would score on Yeriel Pastrana's sacrifice fly as the deficit was trimmed to 5-2.
In the bottom of the fourth, Jake Absher started the inning when he was hit by a pitch. He moved to second on a bunt and advanced to third base on Goins' single to left field. Jake Smith drove in Absher with his double down the left field line while moving Goins to third. Ponte drew his second walk of the game to put runners on the corners. Gagen drove in his third RBI of the game with his fielder's choice as Goins touched the plate for a 9-2 TU lead.
The Lions scored a run in the sixth on Miller's RBI single, but that would be all the offense as Tipton shut the door in the final three frames as he went 52 pitches. MHU starter Austin Kutz (1-6) suffered the loss, but the Lions got four shutout innings from reliever Seth Coxie.
Game 2: Mars Hill 3, Tusculum 2 (11 innings)
In a marathon pitchers' battle, Gavyn Miller drove in the game-winning run with his two-out single as Mars Hill edged Tusculum 3-2 in 11 innings.
Both starting pitchers had superb outings for their respective clubs. MHU's Jacob Davis, the reigning SAC Pitcher of the Week, pitched seven strong innings where he allowed two runs on six hits, two walks and nine strikeouts. Tusculum's Brice Anders went six innings, allowed two runs on four hits with zero walks and eight strikeouts.
Davis retired the first 11 batters of the game for Mars Hill, before Tusculum broke through in the fourth with three straight hits including back-to-back RBI doubles from Ponte and Steve Scarfone as Tusculum led 2-0.
Anders gave up two first inning singles before he settled in and retired 14 in a row including a strikeout to start the sixth. With two outs and a runner at first base, Chapel Matson sent a high fly ball down the left field line that stayed just fair to clear the fence for a two-run homer to tie the game at 2-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tusculum mounted a two-out rally as Caden Rector singled. Pinch runner Jake Trottier took over and he moved to second on a failed pickoff throw by Davis. After an intentional walk to Goins, Davis got out of the jam with a foul out to send the contest to extra innings.
Reliever Luke Maicon worked around a two-out walk in the seventh and retired the side in order in the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Dockery drew a walk to start the inning. Connor Jurek pinch ran as Dustin Dunlap took over for Davis. Ryan Ortega bunted the runner over and Keygan Miksa was hit by a pitch. With two on and one out, Stephens took over and got a strikeout and a flyout to end the inning.
In the top the ninth, Matson led off with a walk as Cooper Emery took over for Maicon. After a bunt to move Matson into scoring position, Emery got a pair of fly outs to end the inning.
Ayden Moore relieved Emery in the 10th inning and gave up a lead-off walk to Carter Potts. Potts moved into scoring position on a bunt, but Moore struck out the last two batters to end the 10th.
In the top of the 11th, Matson and Starkey hit back-to-back, one-out singles. Will Webb relieved Moore on the mound as Evan Ashe sent a deep fly ball to center field which was deep enough for Matson to tag up and move to third base. With runners on the corners with two outs, Miller broke the deadlock with his single through the left side to bring home Matson with the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the 11th, Stephens retired the side in order including a strikeout for the final out of the game.
For Mars Hill, they improve to 3-0 on the season in extra-inning games, while the Pioneers fall to 0-4 in extra-inning affairs in 2026.
Stephens (3-1) went 3.2 innings, allowed two hits and posted five strikeouts. Moore (1-1) suffered the loss for Tusculum going 1.2 innings, allowed one run on two hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
