Kodak, Tenn.----The fifth-seeded Tusculum College Pioneers scored two runs in the seventh inning and two more runs in the eighth, rallying for a 7-4 victory over eighth-seeded Wingate University on day one of the South Atlantic Conference baseball tournament. The Pioneers improve to 28-18 overall, while the Bulldogs are eliminated from the SAC Tournament, falling to 19-30 on the season.
Daulton Martin and
Jeremy Glore each had two hits and two RBI to lead the Tusculum attack.
Dante Key homered for the Pioneers, while
Nick Lacina added a double and an RBI.
Junior outfielder
Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) drove in a pair of runs to lead the Wingate offense. Senior infielder
Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.) was two-for-four with a homer and two runs scored, while sophomore catcher
Andrew Llewellyn (Moseley, Va.) added a hit, RBI and run scored. Freshman outfielder
Joseph Mason (Morehead City, N.C.) also had a hit and a run scored for the Bulldogs.
Wingate jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Barnette connected on his seventh homer of the year, a solo shot to left field. It is the third homer in as many games for the senior.
Tusculum tied it in the bottom of the frame when Glore scored on Lacina's sacrifice fly.
The Bulldogs regained the lead in the second, loading the bases on singles from Llewellyn and Mason along with a walk. Andrus delivered a two-out, two-run single to make it 3-1.
Tusculum again had the answer, scoring twice in the bottom of the frame to tie it. Key started the scoring with a solo homer, while Glore's RBI single made it 3-3.
Barnette led off the sixth with a single, then moved to third on a double from sophomore Micah
Goodwin (Rougemont, N.C.). Llewellyn's RBI groundout gave the 'Dogs a 4-3 advantage.
Tusculum took its first lead of the game in the seventh, going on top 5-4 on Martins' two-out, two-run single. Glore's squeeze bunt in the eighth put the Pioneers on top by two, while a passed ball made the final margin 7-4.
Ethan Carpenter got the win, moving to 7-3. He allowed four runs on seven hits in nine innings of work, striking out nine and walking one. Senior right-hander
Cameron Price (Indian Trail, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 2-3. He allowed three earned runs on four hits in two innings of work, striking out two and walking one. Senior right-hander
Brandon Donahue (Charlotte, N.C.) allowed two earned runs in five innings of work, striking out three.
The Bulldogs wrap up their season May 5, traveling to USC Aiken for a 7 p.m. start.
