GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Anderson University's Gray Wells went 5-for-8 on the day including his game-tying triple in the night-cap as the Trojans swept a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader over Tusculum University Friday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
Anderson won the first game 9-7 and followed with a 6-4 victory in eight innings in the second contest.
With the wins, Anderson improves to 16-9 overall and 6-5 in the league. Tusculum drops to 7-17 and 2-9 in SAC play. The two teams will wrap up the weekend series on Saturday with a 12 p.m. contest.
Game 1: Anderson 9, Tusculum 7
Anderson racked up 15 hits as every AU batter recorded at least a single as the Trojans won the series lid-lifter 9-7.
Anderson jumped out to a 9-4 lead but had to hold off a furious Tusculum charge as TU left the tying runs on base, two of the 14 runners they left stranded in the game.
Braeden Harrison and Kyle Caccamise each had three-hit games, while catcher Dom Bello went 2-for-3 including his two-run homer in the sixth to stretch the AU advantage to 9-4.
Anderson plated two runs in the top of the first inning, but Tusculum answered with three scores in the bottom of the frame to go up 3-2.
The Trojans erupted for five runs in the top of the third as 10 batters went to the plate. Harrison and Carson Molinaroli each accounted for two-hit singles as Anderson led 7-3.
Tusculum got a run back in its half of the third as the first three Pioneers drew walks to load the bases. Jurek drove in a run with his sacrifice fly to make it a 7-4 game. But AU starter Walker Noland limited the damage with a fielder's choice and picked off a runner at first to end the inning.
After Bello's two-run homer in the sixth to make it 9-4, Tusculum answered with a run in the seventh as Millsaps drew a walk and later scored on Jurek's two-out RBI single to cut the deficit to 9-5.
Tusculum loaded the bases in the eighth but reliever Kaleb Owens snuffed the threat with an inning-ending strikeout.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Pioneers made their move. Omar Carreras led off with a solo blast over the left field wall to make it a 9-6. Jurek drew a walk against Owens as Anderson went to its closer in Charlie Sauls. Sauls got the first two outs of the frame with a strikeout and a line out. Caleb Webster drew a walk and Ryan Ortega lifted a base hit down the left field line to drive in Jurek as the Pioneers trailed 9-7 with runners on the corners. But Sauls ended the game with a fly out as the Trojans snapped a three-game losing streak.
Tusculum finished the game with a dozen hits as Webster, Ortega, Ty Smith, Carreras and Max Schmarder each posted multiple-hit outings.
Noland (5-1) went 6.2 innings where he allowed five runs on seven hits, walked six and struck out four. Sauls got the final three outs of the game to secure his third save of the season.
Tusculum starter Luke Absher suffered the loss to drop to 0-3 on the season. Tusculum reliever Cooper Emery kept Tusculum close as he blanked the Trojans for the final four innings as he scattered three hits, two walks and posted three strikeouts.
Game 2: Tusculum 6, Anderson 4 (8 innings)
Gray Wells went 3-for-3 including his game-winning two-run triple in the top of the eighth inning as Anderson won the second game 6-4. Wells scored twice while Brooks Mauro also plated two runs while going 2-for-3.
Anderson's Corben Childers recorded the final five outs of the game including the side in order in the eighth to even his record at 2-2.
Anderson broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the fourth when Mauro led off with a base hit and later scored on Hudson Wilson's sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
Tusculum answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth as Millsaps drew a one-out walk, moved to second on Avery Collins single and later scored on Jurek's two-out infield single. Carreras, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning, scored on a wild pitch as the Pioneers led 2-1.
TU made it 3-1 on Webster's solo home run down the left field line in the fifth inning as TU led 3-1.
But in the sixth, Mauro doubled and moved to second on Ben Bullard's single as the Trojans had two runners in scoring position with no outs. Brice Anders took over on the mound for TU starter Phillip Miller. Anders would face Wells who tied the game with his triple to center to knot the game at 3-3. Zach Stover drove in the go-ahead run with his ground out as Wells scampered home for a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, pinch-hitter Jude Morton drew a walk. Landon Dockery pinch ran for him as Schmarder reached on an infield fielding error. On the play, the ball got away from the outfielder which allowed Dockery to score all the way from first base with the game-tying score.
With Schmarder at second, Childers came aboard to face the top of the TU order. Childers Schmarder at second base with back-to-back fly outs to end the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Wells and Stover led off with back-to-back walks. Wilson hit a grounder to first base but the attempted throw to second for the put out was wide as the bases were loaded with no outs. Shane Thomas drew a walk to drive home the go-ahead run. With reliever Mason Huffstickler on the mound, Molinaroli lined out to right field which was deep enough to score Stover from third with an insurance run which would be enough for the win.
Webster and Schmarder each had three hits in the doubleheader to move their respective hitting streaks to 15 consecutive games. Schmarder also ups his reaching base safely streak to 20 in a row while Millsaps has gotten aboard in 16 straight.
