GAME ONE BOX       GAME TWO BOX

Wingate, N.C.----The Tusculum College Pioneers piled up 30 hits and 27 runs Saturday afternoon, sweeping a conference doubleheader against Wingate University in South Atlantic Conference baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. Tusculum won by scores of 16-12 and 11-4 to improve to 10-0 overall and 3-0 in the SAC. Wingate falls to 7-5 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
 
Game One: Tusculum 16, Wingate 12
 
The Bulldogs erased two six-run deficits in the game, but Tusculum scored four times in the top of the ninth to get the win. Sophomore outfielder Trey Drewery (Vale, N.C.) was three-for-five with a double and five RBI to lead the Tusculum attack. Junior infielder Cade Stallings (Knoxville, Tenn.) was two-for-four with a homer, four RBI and three runs scored. Senior outfielder Lukas Graves (St. Joseph, Ill.) went four-for-five with two RBI and two runs scored for the Pioneers.
 
Senior infielder Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) was three-for-five with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Wingate attack. Senior outfielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) had a double, homer and three RBI for the Bulldogs, while freshman outfielder Thomas Spitz (West Chester, Pa.) had a homer and three RBI for Wingate. Junior designated hitter Jason Hunter (West Chester, Pa.) was four-for-five with a homer.
 
Tusculum came out hot, scoring six runs in the first. Stallings plated the first three with a three-run homer to left. Drewery added a two-run single, while Graves capped the scoring with an RBI single to make it 6-0.
 
Wingate cut into the lead in the bottom of the frame when McPherson connected on a two-run homer to right, his second of the season to make it 6-2. The Bulldogs got to within one in the second when Vazquez blasted his first homer of the year, a three-run shot to left to make it 6-5.
 
Wingate tied the game in the third on a solo homer from senior outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.), who connected on his first blast of the season to make it 6-6.
 
The Pioneers regained the lead in the fourth scoring three runs. Junior infielder Matt Henriksen (Hingham, Mass.) got it started with an RBI double to left, while a two-run single from Drewery made it 9-6. Tusculum added to the lead in the fifth with an RBI single from Graves. An RBI double from Drewery in the seventh made it 11-6, while an RBI single from Stallings in the seventh pushed the lead back to six.
 
Wingate answered with five runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one-run game. An RBI single from freshman catcher Josh Clark (Clemmons, N.C.) started the scoring. Spitz followed by blasting his first career homer, a three-run shot to left to make it 12-10. McPherson added an RBI double to make it a one-run game.
 
The Bulldogs tied the game in the eighth, when Hunter connected with his third homer of the year, a solo shot to right to make it 12-12.
 
Tusculum had the answer in the top of the ninth, scoring four times to take a 16-12 lead. An RBI groundout from senior outfielder Alexi Colon (Vineland, N.J.) plated the first run to put the Pioneers on top. A Wingate error allowed two more runs to score, while an RBI single from senior first baseman Aaron Guinn (Norris, Tenn.) capped the scoring in game one.
 
Sophomore right-hander John-Austin Shepard (Haymarket, Va.) got the win for the Pioneers, allowing one run on two hits in 2 1/3 innings of work, striking out four to improve to 1-0 on the year. Senior right-hander Kyle Brady (Cincinnati, Ohio) took the loss, falling to 0-1. He allowed one run on one hit in one inning of work, striking out two.
 
Game Two: Tusculum 11, Wingate 4
 
Guinn went four-for-four with two doubles, four RBI and two runs scored to lead the Tusculum attack. Stallings added a double and two RBI, while Graves went two-for-four with a double, two RBI and a run scored for the Pioneers.
 
Vazquez went two-for-three with a double and a homer to lead the Wingate attack. McPherson added another homer, while redshirt junior first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) was two-for-three with an RBI and a run scored.
 
The Pioneers once again got off to a quick start, scoring six times in the first inning. Tusculum had just one hit in the frame, with three runs scoring via two bases-loaded walk and a hit batsman. The one hit in the inning was a three-run double to left from Guinn, helping the Pioneers to a 6-0 lead.
 
Wingate got two runs back in the bottom of the frame. A pair of walks put two runners on base, while senior infielder Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) plated the first run with a sacrifice fly. Yeung followed with an RBI single to make it 6-2.
 
Tusculum added to its lead in the third, scoring three more runs. The first run scored on an error, while Graves added an RBI double to right center. An RBI single from Stallings made it 9-2.
 
McPherson belted his third homer of the season in the bottom of the inning, a solo shot to right to cut the lead to six.
 
The Pioneers scored another run in the sixth via an RBI single from Guinn. Stallings drove home Tusculum’s final run of the day with an RBI double in the seventh.
 
Vazquez led off the bottom of the seventh with a towering solo homer down the left field line to make the final margin 11-4.
 
Junior right-hander Adam Sigmon (Taylorsville, N.C.) got the win, improving to 2-0 on the year. He pitched the final 6 1/3 innings in relief, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out seven. Freshman left-hander Jordan Newsome (Matthews, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. He allowed six runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning, walking seven.
 
Wingate returns to action Tuesday, traveling to Barton for a 2 p.m. start. The Bulldogs host Pfeiffer Wednesday at 4 p.m. Tusculum hosts Limestone Tuesday at 2 p.m.