Forest City, N.C.----The fourth-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs trimmed an early 8-1 deficit to one, but could not complete the comeback as the top-seeded and fourth-ranked Tusculum College Pioneers claimed the 2012 Food Lion SAC Tournament title Sunday afternoon with a 16-9 win at McNair Field. The Pioneers improve to 43-7 overall, and receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Wingate falls to 31-23 overall.
 
Aaron Guinn was four-for-six with a double, homer, four RBI and three runs scored to lead the Tusculum attack. Alexi Colon had two homers and three RBI for the Pioneers, while Matt Henriksen was four-for-four with a homer and two RBI. Cade Stallings added a homer and three RBI, while Carlos Santana went three-for-five with two RBI and two runs scored.
 
Senior infielder Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) had a double, homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Junior designated hitter Jason Hunter (West Chester, Pa.) had a homer and two RBI, while freshman catcher Josh Clark (Clemmons, N.C.) added a double and two RBI. Redshirt junior first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) was two-for-three with a double, RBI and run scored. Clark and Yeung earned All-Tournament honors, along with senior outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) and freshman outfielder Thomas Spitz (West Chester, Pa.)
 
For the second straight day, the Pioneers jumped out to a quick lead, plating three runs in the top of the first when Stallings connected on a three-run homer to left. Colon’s RBI single in the second made it 4-0.
 
An RBI single from Hunter in the bottom of the second got the Bulldogs on the board. The Pioneers answered with four runs in the third to push the lead to seven. Santana started the scoring with an RBI single, while Guinn’s two-run single made it 8-1.
 
Wingate answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to four. Allison plated the first run with an RBI single, while Clark’s two-run double made it 8-4. Colon led off the fourth with a solo homer to give Tusculum a 9-4 advantage.
                                                                                                                     
The Bulldogs had the quick answer once again, scoring three times in the bottom of the fourth to make it a two-run game. Karr’s RBI double off the wall in left started the scoring, while an RBI single from senior outfielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) made it 9-6. Yeung followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 9-7.
 
Hunter got the Bulldogs to within one when he connected on his ninth homer of the year, a solo shot to right. The Bulldogs had a chance to tie the game in the sixth, getting runners on second and third with no outs for the heart of the order. Tusculum closer John-Austin Shepard entered the game and struck out three consecutive hitters to get out of the jam, keeping the Pioneers on top.
 
Tusculum added some insurance in the seventh when Guinn connected on a two-run homer just inside the foul pole down the left field line. Homers from Colon and Henriksen in the eighth put the Pioneers on top 14-8.
 
Karr connected on a solo homer to right center in the eighth, his 14th of the year to make it 14-9. His homer gives Wingate 95 on the season, tying the single season SAC record. The Bulldogs lead the nation in homers in 2012, and also hit a SAC Tournament best 11 long balls on the week.
 
RBI singles from Henriksen and Santana in the ninth made the final margin 16-9.  
 
Shepard got the win in relief, working the final four innings while allowing just one run, striking out seven to improve to 4-1 on the year. Sophomore right-hander Ben Currie (Clemmons, N.C.) took the loss, allowing eight runs on eight hits in two innings of work, falling to 7-4 on the year.
 
The Pioneers, who entered the SAC Tournament as the number four team in the nation, have a strong chance of hosting the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament. The Bulldogs have one regular season game remaining, traveling to UNC Pembroke Saturday at 6 p.m.