GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum's Ben Scartz tied a program single-game record being hit by a pitch three times, while Jake McKenna pitched 3.2 shutout innings as the Pioneers split a non-conference baseball doubleheader with visiting Illinois Springfield Friday at Pioneer Park.
The Prairie Stars scored six runs in the 11th inning sparked by Ty Hollandsworth's three-run homer as UIS won the opener 10-5. Tusculum bounced back in the night-cap as the Pioneers utilized nine hits and a dozen walks to record a 14-5 victory.
The two teams will wrap up the four-game weekend series with a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
Game 1: Illinois Springfield 10, Tusculum 5 (11 innings)
Hollandsworth went 3-for-6 with a triple and his three-run homer in the top of the 11th as UIS erupted for six runs in the final extra frame to win 10-5.
Tusculum had the winning run in scoring position in both the ninth and 10th innings, but reliever Jack Tobin kept the Pioneers at bat to set the table in the 11th for his teammates.
The Prairie Stars jumped out to a 3-0 lead scoring once in the fifth and two more times in the seventh. In the fifth, Ethan Bowers led off with a double and scored on Johnny Wendling's RBI single. In the seventh, UIS got a two-out, two-run single from Mack Clark.
Tusculum answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh as Sawyer Pace led off with a single. Connor Jurek was hit by a pitch as TU had runners on first and second with two outs. Pace and Jurek pulled off the double steal and Caleb Webster came through with a two-out, two-run single. Webster would get to second base, but would be stranded there on a pop out as TU trailed 3-2.
In the top of the eighth, Hollandsworth led off with a triple to the gap in left field and scored on Nick Melvin's sacrifice fly to extend the UIS lead to 4-2.
In the bottom of the ninth, TU's Luis Reyes and pinch-hitter Justin Millsaps drew back-to-back walks to get the frame started. Jurek bunted them both over into scoring position. Webster was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Scartz singled to right field to drive in Reyes to trim the deficit to 4-3. After an infield liner for the second out, Omar Carreres drew a walk to bring home pinch-runner Ty Smith with the tying run. Tobin got the final out of the inning on a fielder's choice to send the game into extra innings.
TU reliver Luke Maicon retired the 10th inning in order including a pair of strikeouts. In the bottom of the inning, Max Schmarder struck out, but reached first on a passed ball on the play to open the frame. Reyes reached first on a fielder's choice as Schmarder was out at second. After Smith was hit by a pitch, Tobin struck out Jurek and Webster to end the 10th.
TU relief pitcher Caid Sanders struck out Jackson Blemler to start the 11th. After a walk, Sanders would retire Drew Ezard on a strikeout for the second out of the inning. A walk to Noah Caceres moved the go-ahead run to second base. Clark would continue the inning when he reached on a Tusculum throwing error which allowed pinch runner Dillon Smail to score the go-ahead run. Mason Huffstickler took over on the mound and surrendered a two-run single to Wendling to drive in a pair of unearned runs and extend the lead to 7-4. Hollandsworth put the game out of reach with his three-run blast to left field for a 10-4 lead.
Tusculum got a run in the bottom of the 11th when Jake Absher legged out a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Carreras. But reliever Kannon Walker posted a strikeout to end the game.
Both starting pitchers had solid outings for their respective clubs. UIS's Esteban Hernandez pitched 4.2 shutout innings where he allowed three hits, three walks and two strikeouts in his 76-pitch performance. Tusculum hurler Luke Absher went five innings, allowed one run on four hits, one walk and seven strikeouts in his 79-pitch outing.
Clark and Wollandsworth each had three-hit contests, while Wendling went 2-for-4 with three RBI as UIS ended up with a dozen hits. Tusculum got two-hit outings from Jake Absher and Carreras.
Tobin (1-0) earned victory as he struck out three and in his two innings of relief. Sanders (0-1) suffered the tough loss as he allowed four unearned runs, with zero hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
Game 2: Tusculum 14, Illinois Springfield 5
Max Schmarder went 2-for-4 with three RBI while Jake McKenna pitched 3.2 masterful innings as Tusculum rebounded with a 14-5 win over Illinois Springfield in Friday's second game.
Tusculum (1-4) snaps a four-game losing streak to start the season as the Pioneers took advantage of dozen walks, nine hits and four hit batsmen as the TU came away with the victory.
Scartz successfully reached base in all five of his plate appearances which included his school record three times being hit by a pitch. He scored a career-best four runs while also notching a base hit and a walk. His hit by pitch total ties the record previous set by Vince Stonesifer (2002 vs Carson-Newman), Cade Stallings (2012 vs Pfeiffer), and Jarel McDade and Nate Montgomery (both in the same game in 2018 against King).
UIS got on the board first in the opening inning when Ezard lasered a two-run homer down the left field line for a 2-0 lead. Tusculum tied it in the bottom of the inning as the Pioneers patiently totaled three walks and two hit batsmen resulting in a pair of runs to even the score at 2-2.
Dahlburg answered with a two-run home in the top of the second as the Stars retook the lead at 4-2. Tusculum responded by sending 10 batters to the plate in their half of the stanza, drawing five more walks and got two-run single from Caleb Webster as TU scored four times and led for the first time on the day at 6-4.
In the bottom of the third, Tusculum scored four more times thanks to a Jake Absher RBI double and a two-run double off the bat of Schmarder as TU extended its lead to 10-4.
The Pioneers added a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth as TU established a season-high with 14 runs.
McKenna (1-0) didn't allow a hit in his 3.2 innings where he walked one and posted three strikeouts. UIS started Adam Lindsey (0-1) was credited with the loss.
Jurek, Absher and Schmarder each posted two hits, while Avery Collins drew a career-best three walks including once with the bases loaded.
The Prairie Stars (1-1) had two-hit performances from Dahlberg and Bowers.
