GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum rallied from a 2-0 deficit scoring 12 unanswered runs including a game-ending, two-run homer by freshman Ryan Ortega as the Pioneers defeated Lincoln Memorial 12-2 in eight innings Friday night at Pioneer Park.
Tusculum (16-23, 9-13 SAC) records its fourth straight home win as TU posted back-to-back four-run innings to put distance between them and the Railsplitters (21-18, 10-12 SAC).
The Pioneers took advantage of 12 hits, four walks, three hit batters and three LMU errors to secure the series opener.
The TU quartet of Sawyer Pace, Ben Scartz, Ty Smith and Ortega recorded two hits apiece, while Omar Carreras also clubbed a two-run homer.
After a two-game hiatus due to injury, third-baseman Max Schmarder returned to the line-up and went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks as he extends his hitting streak to 27 in a row which is one off the school-record of 28 set by All-American Maikol Gonzalez in 2008.
Tusculum starting pitcher Luke Absher tossed six quality innings as he limited LMU to two runs on five hits, two walks and six strikeouts. He improves to 3-4 on the year as he pitched a season-high 107 pitches and retired 13 of the last 15 batters he would face. Freshman Cooper Emery took over in the seventh inning and needed only 21 pitches has he tossed two perfect frames with a strikeout.
Lincoln Memorial took a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to two singles, a walk and a hit batter.
Meanwhile, LMU starter Eli Edds recorded eight straight outs to start the game before Smith ended the drought with an infield single.
Tusculum broke through in the bottom of the fourth as TU didn't hit a ball out of the infield and scored four unearned runs. Pace opened the inning with a bunt single and moved to second when Carerras was hit by a pitch. Scartz drew a walk to load the bases. Edds struck out Schmarder and Caleb Mulcahy lined out to the shortstop for the first two outs of the inning.
Ortega legged out an infield single as Pace scored from third with TU's first run of the game. With two outs and the bases still loaded and Avery Collins at the plate, Edds threw a wild pitch in the dirt that caromed into foul territory in front of the LMU dugout. Carreras scored from third and Scartz was able to trot in from second. The ball was heading into the dugout as catcher Sam Mast dove for the ball. He was able to haul it in but his momentum carried him into the dugout. With Ortega standing at third, it was ruled that the ball went out of play allowing him to score the run on the wild pitch as Tusculum led 4-2.
Tusculum scored four more in the fifth as Webster reached on a one-out error and moved to second on Pace's second hit in as many innings. Carreras drew a walk to load the bases and Scartz stepped up and hit a two-run single to left field as the Pioneers upped the score to 6-2. Schmarder singled to center to extend his hitting streak and Mulcahy stepped up and hit a two-run double to the left field corner. As Tusculum led 8-2. Ortega was hit by a pitch to load the bases again as Aiden Carter took over. He would strike out Collins and Smith to close out the inning.
Tusculum got a two-run homer from Carreras in the sixth inning, his team-leading fifth of the season as the Pioneers led 10-2. In the eighth, Schmarder drew a walk and with two outs, Ortega homered to left field to end the game.
Eddes (2-5) suffered the loss as he went 4.1 innings, allowed eight runs (seven earned), seven hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
The two teams will close out the weekend series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Pioneer Park.
