Lions take series against Tusculum in extra innings thriller
The Mars Hill baseball team (7-22, 4-8 SAC) defeated Tusculum (18-9, 8-4 SAC) by a score of 7-6 in 10 innings Sunday to take the weekend series, 2-1.
MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill baseball team (7-22, 4-8 SAC) defeated Tusculum (18-9, 8-4 SAC) by a score of 7-6 in 10 innings Sunday to take the weekend series, 2-1.
Mars Hill entered the top of the ninth leading 6-5. Tusculum's Darien Farley tied the game at six with a RBI single through the left side, plating Murphy Flood. Jacob Willett was able to hold the Lions off the board in the bottom of the ninth, forcing extra innings for the second straight game.
The Lions got out of the top of the 10th unscathed throughout the bottom half of the frame, were able to load the bases. Tyler Sellers was hit by a pitch to start the comeback for Mars Hill. He later advanced off of a groundout from Dawson Connell. Back-to-back walks from Alex Naran and Donald Gorgei loaded the bases for Trevor Bailey. Three pitches into the at-bat, Bailey was hit by a pitch, plating Sellers for the game-winning run.
Tusculum opened the game with four runs in the first, highlighted by Farley's two-run single. After a scoreless second, Mars Hill chipped away at the Pioneers' lead in the bottom of the third. Sellers' RBI double kicked off the three-run inning. After Connell's RBI single, Sellers was scored off of Naran's RBI single, cutting the Tusculum lead down to one, 4-3.
A solo home run from Christian Ortega in the top of the fifth put Tusculum back up by two, but in the bottom of the sixth, Sellers' RBI double that scored Jordan Lathe pulled Mars Hill back within one. In the bottom of the eighth, Sellers tied the game with a solo home run to right field, picking up his team-high third RBI of the game.
Later in the frame, Silas Isenhour gave the Lions their first lead of the contest with a single through the left side that scored Connell.
Farley led the Pioneers with two hits and three RBI while Sellers led all players with three hits and three RBI. Lathe added three hits for Mars Hill.
Jake Wagoner earned his second win in as many days, and his fourth of the season, allowing just one run on two hits in three innings thrown.
Mars Hill will host No. 1 North Greenville on Tuesday, March 21. First pitch at Henderson Field is set for 2 p.m.
