TUSCALOOSA, Ala.
The No. 17 Tusculum baseball team split a doubleheader at Stillman on Sunday afternoon.
The Pioneers took the season-opening, three-game series 2-1.
Payden Houser went 3-for-4, while starter Tyler Collins won in his season-debut in a Tusculum 4-1 win over Stillman in the opener.
Collins pitched 5.2 strong innings, where he scattered five hits, allowed a run, walked two and struck out six. Tyler Collins relieved the other Collins as he recorded a save in his first collegiate mound appearance.
In game two, Rey Valdes went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI to pace the Tigers to a 7-5 win over the Pioneers to gain the split.
On Saturday, Tusculum plated four runs in the ninth inning as the Pioneers rallied from a five-run deficit to post a 15-13 season-opening win at Stillman.
Sean Cotten drove in the winning score with his two-run single in the top of the ninth as the Pioneers plated four runs and sent nine batters to the plate. Raymond Ruggles picked up the win in relief as he pitched the final 1.2 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
The Pioneers will open the 2010 home portion of its schedule this weekend as TC hosts California (Pa.) and St. Joseph (Ind.) for two games each at Pioneer Park.
