Box Score 12 Hits Not Enough in Sunday Finale
BREVARD, N.C. – Brevard became the first team to solve Maryville reliever Damian Lusby, and in doing so posted a 10-5 victory to claim the series win against the Scots.
The Tornados got to Lusby for four runs on four hits in the pivotal fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie. It was the first time this season in nine appearances that Lusby, a senior righthander, allowed multiple runs in an outing. He entered the game 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA this season but walked off with his first defeat.
Lusby had come on for Maryville starting pitcher Austin Settle after Settle allowed his fourth run on the game in the bottom of the fourth. Lusby was on the mound when Scots catcher Peyton Milam threw out Brevard's Jason Jucker trying to steal third, keeping the score 4-1 Tornados.
That's when Maryville rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth. Milam doubled leading off the frame and scored on Zach Fritts' one-out triple. Fritts came home on Matt Bowers' groundout, and then the Scots tied the game when Nelson Smith singled and Gabe Lopez came all the way around to score from first after the Smith base hit got past Brevard's left fielder for a two-base error.
But Brevard bounced back with its four-run fifth, keyed by Christian Ezell's three-run homer for an 8-4 lead that proved to be the difference.
"We just didn't play well enough to win," Maryville head coach Clint Helton said. "This is still a good team, and we will bounce back for Tuesday."
Early Advantage
Maryville opened the scoring with a 1-0 lead, but it could have been more. Zac Graham singled to left and Kasey Ross was hit by a pitch before Milam delivered an infield single to load the bases. But Brevard starter Cameron Cook induced a double play and a strikeout to limit the Scots to the single tally.
Maryville added an unearned run in the seventh before Cook finished the frame and his day on the hill. The Tornados righthander scattered 11 Maryville hits and allowed five runs, three earned, while striking out three and walking just one in improving to 3-1.
The Scots finished with 12 hits in this one to Brevard's 16. For Maryville, Smith was 3-for-5, Lopez 2-for-5, Graham 2-for-4 and Milam 2-for-3. Fritts and Bowers had the team's two RBIs.
The Scots are back in action Tuesday at Berry. First pitch is 3 p.m. Their next home game is a three-game weekend series against DePauw, beginning with a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader.
