NEWBERRY, S.C. --- The Tusculum University baseball team rallied with four runs in the top of the ninth as the Pioneers split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader at Newberry College Friday at the Smith Road Complex.
Caleb Webster went 4-for-4 in the opener and drove in the game-winning run with his RBI single as Tusculum overcame 5-3 deficit to posted a 9-5 victory in the league lid-lifter for both teams. In the second game, Chansen Cole and John Rollings combined on a four-hit shutout as the Wolves won 4-0 to gain the split.
The two teams will wrap-up the three-game weekend series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest.
Game 1: Tusculum 9, Newberry 5
Tusculum erased a 5-3 deficit with two runs in the seventh to tie the game and plated four more in the ninth as the Pioneers rallied to a 9-5 win in the league opener of 2025.
TU amassed 13 hits in the game including eight in the final three innings. Meanwhile, the duo of Aiden Tipton and Cooper Emery combined for four shutout innings as the Pioneers prevailed.
Newberry jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring a run each in the second and third innings. Tusculum answered in the fourth when Webster led off with a double and later scored on Omar Carreras' sacrifice fly.
Tusculum took a brief 3-2 advantage with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Connor Jurek reached on a one-out single, stole second and moved to third on Webster's second hit of the afternoon. After a foul out, Carreras drew a walk and Max Schmarder followed with a two-run double.
In the bottom of the sixth, Kade Faircloth led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third on John Allen Forrester's base hit. Anthony Plotkin singled to drive in Faircloth with a game-tying run. After a bunt moved the runners over, Cooper Gentry came through with a two-run double as Newberry retook the lead 5-3.
In the TU half of the seventh, Ty Smith and Seth Sherman led off with back-to-back singles. After a strikeout, Connor Jurek's ground out moved the runners into scoring position. With two outs, Webster singled to right to drive in both runs to tie the game at 5-5.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bryson Nuckols led off with a double. Tipton got a ground and a strikeout as Nuckols moved to third base. Emery took over for Tipton and got a fly out to end the inning and strand the go-ahead run at third.
In the top of the ninth, pinch-hitter Justin Millsaps led off with a single up the middle. Jurek bunted him to second base. Millsaps would move to third on a wild pitch before Webster singled him home with the go-ahead run. Ben Scartz reached on an error and Carreras drew a walk to load the bases. After a strikeout, Luis Reyes singled in Webster with an insurance run as the bases remained loaded. Smith drew a walk and pinch-hitter Jayden Singleton was hit by a pitch as two more runs crossed the plate and the Pioneers led 9-5.
The Wolves managed to load the bases with two outs, brining Forrester to plate representing the tying run. But Emery would get the strikeout to secure the win.
The Wolves tallied a dozen hits including three from Nuckols and two apiece from Faircloth and Plotkin.
Webster finished the game with three RBI as he reached base in all five of his plate appearances. Smith and Schmarder both had two-hit outings for the visitors.
Game 2: Newberry 4, Tusculum 0
Cole, the reigning SAC Pitcher of the Week, recorded 15 strikeouts in his six innings of work as Newberry won the second game, 4-0.
Cole allowed a second-inning single by Caleb Mulcahy which proved to be the only hit of the game for the Black & Orange.
Meanwhile, the Wolves scored two runs in the first and two more in the sixth as that would be all the hosts would need.
In the bottom of the first, Wilson Wages reached on a one-out single. Faircloth would walk and both would pull a double-steal. On the play the throw to third went wide allowing Wages to score the game's first run. After a strikeout by TU starter Brice Anders, Jonathan Velez singled to bring home Faircloth with the second run of the frame.
Tusculum had its opportunities throughout the game but left nine runners on base while hitting into two double plays.
Leading 2-0, Newberry scored two more in the sixth as Velez led off with a double and pinch-hitter Campbell McCurry drew a walk. Luke White drove in the third run of the game with his RBI single, while Chandler Mims drove in the second on his fielder's choice.
Cole (3-0) secured the victory as he had four walks to go with his 15 strikeouts in his 112-pitch performance. After Cole hit the lead-off batter to start the seventh, Rollings came aboard to take over and walk Jurek to put runners at third and second. But Rollings would get a fly out and a double play to end the game.
Anders (1-2 suffered the loss as he went 5.0 innings, allowed four runs on five hits, four walks and six strikeouts.
Carreras, who got aboard safely in Friday's opener, failed to do so in the second game ending his streak of 18 straight games of reaching base safely.
