Scotland breaks tie with 2 runs in 5th to beat Union Pines

LAURINBURG — The Scotland Fighting Scots baseball team had yet to lose through six games when it puts up three or more runs.

In the seventh Tuesday night at McCoy Field, the Union Pines Vikings came close to changing that, evening the score at 3-3 in the fourth inning. But a two-run response in the fifth helped the Scots get back up and hold on for a 5-3 victory to continue a perfect start in Sandhills Athletic Conference action.

“I guess that’s a stat that we need to offensively strive for every game,” Scotland coach Ricky Schattauer said. “We have been harping on hitting. I thought we had better approaches tonight. The fastball; we tried to put more barrels on the ball tonight.”

With Scotland (6-1, 5-0 SAC) in front 3-1, Austin Mooring’s two-run home run to left field tied it up for Union Pines (2-6, 0-3 SAC) after also bringing home Chandler Ring. And with two outs, the Vikings had an opportunity to gain their first lead after loading the bases. But Tyler Lewis was struck out for the third out by Dylan Tilson, getting his second consecutive start on the mound for the Scots, sending the Vikings down without adding any more harm.

“He showed some antics a little bit,” Schattauer said on Tilson. “I went out there, and I just told him, ‘your pitch count’s up, and this could be it. So I need the best from you right here.’”

Scotland’s lead-taking runs in the next inning started with Garrett Manning scoring from second on Logan Adner’s hit, where he reached first after an error by Ring at shortstop.

“I was just thinking, put the bat on the ball,” Adner said. “Couldn’t strike out again.”

While Adner didn’t get credit for the RBI, the play provided the late spark the Scots have had multiple times; it’s the fourth time they’ve overcome a tie or deficit in the fifth or later this season.

“I think any momentum, any lead change or us answering back is big just because we are inexperienced, and we are young,” Schattauer said. “The longer it stays a tight ball game, the more pressure it is on us, I feel. For the last seven games, we’ve scored late. But I hope to be ahead late, not always trying to battle back.”

Scotland’s fifth run came three pitches later on Dawson Williams’ RBI sacrifice fly that helped Maddox Locklear advance home before Connor Sessoms grounded out to second base to send it to the sixth.

The Vikings never got a runner past first in the final two frames, and the Scots’ opportunity to score Kaden Hunsucker from third to increase their advantage ended when Cameron Cole was caught stealing second for the last out.

Manning finished with two hits for Scotland, and Thomas Taylor, Cole, Tilson, Hunsucker and Williams had a hit, with Williams also recording two RBIs.

Tilson pitched five innings with two earned runs allowed on five hits and three strikeouts to three walks and was credited with the win; Robbie Peed earned the save, throwing two innings of scoreless and hitless relief with three strikeouts.

“I told them in the huddle that I don’t think Tilson had his best stuff,” Schattauer said. “He didn’t get to go all seven. They worked the counts. We fell behind, he worked back, and eventually, we’d get them out at a 3-2 count. But he gave us a chance to win. He still did his job. And offensively, I think we stepped up a little bit more to take some stress off of him, him not having his best stuff.”

The win is Scotland’s fourth consecutive.

“Just hitting cages every day,” Adner said on what’s led to Scotland’s hot stretch. “Before, after practice, during practice, hitting the ball, working on hitting the ball. And it showed tonight.”

Dylan Benedict, a freshman, had two hits and suffered the loss for the Vikings.

Manning opened the scoring for Scotland in the first on a wild pitch that freed up home; moments later, Williams helped tack on another with a ground-ball single that plated Garrett Sellers.

Union Pines put up its first run on a Brodie Lyczkowski RBI flyout that scored Ring in the second; in the bottom of the inning, Tilson helped Scotland’s lead go to 3-1 on a wild-pitch score before the Vikings scored the runs in the fourth to knot it up.

Scotland closes the series against Union Pines in Cameron on Thursday.

“I think every game is big right now for us,” Schattauer said. “Us being young and us being inexperienced. I think every game, the next game, is the biggest game for us. So, Thursday is going to be another big game. We’ve switched our rotation just because we played last Thursday, and we were able to. So hopefully, the outings that Manning has given us will continue.”