TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Tennessee Southern split its Tuesday doubleheader at Stillman, winning a wild opener before coming up just short in the nightcap as the teams traded momentum throughout the afternoon.
In game one, the Firehawks outlasted Stillman 13–12 in a back-and-forth contest that featured multiple lead changes and timely swings. Tennessee Southern jumped on the board immediately in the top of the first. Devin Thrain singled and stole second before Anthony Pastrana drove him home with an RBI single. Cooper Phillips followed with a double, and Zac Wilson brought him in with a single to right-center. Reagan Tomlin capped the opening surge with a two-run home run to right to give the Firehawks a 4–0 lead.
Stillman answered with five runs in the second, but Tennessee Southern kept applying pressure. In the fourth, Evan Nelson singled and later scored on a balk after Zach Chaney doubled to right. The Firehawks regained the lead in the fifth when Pastrana singled, setting the stage for a two-run homer by Phillips. Tomlin followed later in the inning with his second home run of the game to pull Tennessee Southern within two.
The decisive stretch came in the sixth. Gage Beckner and Cribbs both reached and moved into scoring position with aggressive baserunning. Pastrana doubled to center to drive in a run, Wilson added an RBI double down the left-field line, and Tomlin knocked in another with a single as the Firehawks surged ahead. In the seventh, Masato Mizumori was hit by a pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Beckner to provide the final margin.
Tomlin led the Firehawks with three hits, two home runs, and four RBIs, while Phillips went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, and two RBIs. Pastrana added three hits and two RBIs, Wilson finished with two hits and two driven in, and Thrain scored and stole a base. On the mound, Will Vines earned the win with 1.2 scoreless innings in relief to close out the opener.
In game two, Tennessee Southern battled throughout but fell 4–3 despite a late push. Stillman struck for three runs in the first inning, and the Firehawks were held scoreless through the opening four frames.
Tennessee Southern broke through in the fifth. Beckner singled and Cribbs was hit by a pitch before both moved into scoring position with steals. Pastrana delivered a two-run single to right to cut the deficit to 4–2. Moments later, Tomlin singled home Pastrana to pull the Firehawks within one.
The Firehawks continued to threaten late, putting runners aboard in the seventh, but were unable to bring across the tying run. Pastrana finished the nightcap with two hits and two RBIs, Tomlin drove in a run, and Beckner added a hit, a run scored, and a stolen base.
On the mound, Barrett Brown went four innings before Royce Allen tossed two scoreless frames out of the bullpen to keep Tennessee Southern within striking distance.
Tennessee Southern returns home next, hosting St. Francis on Saturday, February 21, for a weekend series.
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