GREENWOOD – The Tusculum baseball team exploded for five runs in the fifth inning Wednesday afternoon en route to a 6-2 non-conference victory over Lander at Legion Field.

Tusculum improves to 31-11 overall, while Lander moves to 23-18.

The Pioneers' Tyler Collins (3-1) was awarded the win after striking out seven, walking one and allowing one earned run in seven complete innings.

Lander's Scott Elitzky (2-2) suffered the loss, striking out five, walking five and allowing six earned runs on six hits in 4.2 innings.

The Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Erik Lunde tripled down the right line then scored on Jeff May's run-scoring single to centerfield.

The Pioneers tied the game at 1-1 in fourth after Trey Drewery walked, advanced to third on Payden Houser's double to left center, and went home on Nate Reid's sacrifice fly.

The Pioneers tallied five more runs in the fifth to go up 6-1. Branfy Arias stroked a two-run double, while Cody Coffman and Trey Drewery both had RBI singles and Aaron Guinn went home on a bases-loaded hit by pitch.

Lander scored its final run in the ninth when Adam Davey singled to left field, advanced to second on Alan Abreu's walk, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Robert Skinner's sacrifice fly.

For Lander, Patrick Grady and Joe Tebaldi both went 2-for-4.

For Tusculum, Houser batted 2-for-3.