GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tusculum University Baseball Team (11-20, 6-10 SAC) picked up a South Atlantic Conference win over Emory & Henry University (10-22, 3-13 SAC) inside Pioneer Park Friday evening. The Pioneers utilized a five-run sixth inning to take the victory by an 8-2 final.

The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Tusculum 8, Emory & Henry 2
LOCATION – Greeneville, Tennessee
VENUE – Pioneer Park
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (10-22, 3-13 SAC); Tusculum (11-20, 6-10 SAC)

How It Happened
Both teams were held scoreless through the opening inning, but TU jumped ahead in the bottom of the second as the Pioneers pushed across a run on three hits to take the 1-0 advantage. The TU lead held through the third and fourth inning, but the Wasps got on the board in the top of the fifth. 

Fifth-year second baseman Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) and freshman shortstop Jaret Hoppes (Taylorsville, N.C.) led off the frame with back-to-back singles and Hoppes swiped second base to put runners on second and third. A wild pitch allowed Foley to score and senior third baseman Steven Smith (Salisbury, N.C.) plated Hoppes with an RBI on an error to put E&H on top 2-1.

Tusculum responded immediately in the bottom of the fifth inning with a run to tie things up, and tallied five in the sixth and added an insurance run in the eighth as the bullpen kept the Wasps' bats quiet to earn the 8-2 win.

Cooper Emery picked up the win on the hill for the Pioneers as he scattered just a pair of hits and fanned four batters in four innings of relief. Junior pitcher Jacob Nester (Hillsville, Va.) took the loss after allowing five hits, four earned, on eight hits while striking out six Tusculum batters over 5.2 innings of work. Foley and Hoppes each finished with a pair of hits while Smith recorded the lone RBI of the game for Emory & Henry. 

Up Next
The Wasps wrap up the series against the Pioneers on Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from Pioneer Park. 

--E&H--