Greeneville, Tenn.----The Tusculum College Pioneers erased a 5-0 deficit in game one, rallying for a 9-7 victory over Wingate University while adding a 7-2 win in game two of Saturday afternoon's South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader. The Pioneers improve to 10-7 overall and 4-1 in the SAC, while the Bulldogs fall to 14-4 overall and 3-2 in league play.
Game One: Tusculum 9, Wingate 7
Zack Finchum and
Trey Hinton each had two hits and two RBI to lead the Tusculum offense in game one.
Jake Wapinsky added two hits, an RBI and three runs scored, while
Jarel McDade and
Garrett Dupuls contributed two hits, an RBI and run scored apiece.
Daulton Martin added two hits and an RBI for the Pioneers.
Senior outfielder
Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) was three-for-four with a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate offense. Senior designated hitter
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) added two hits and two RBI, while junior infielder
Tyler Schneider (Richland, Ind.) was three-for-five with an RBI and a run scored. Junior catchers
Micah Goodwin (Rougemont, N.C.) and
Andrew Llewellyn (Moseley, Va.) each drove in a run for the Bulldogs in game one.
A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for Wingate in the top of the first, with a Brown two-run singles getting the 'Dogs on the board. Goodwin followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Andrus put the Bulldogs on top by five when he connected on his second homer of the year in the second, a two-run shot down the left field line.
Hinton's RBI single in the bottom of the frame got the Pioneers on the board, while Finchum added an RBI single in the fourth to make it 5-2. Tusculum scored three times in the fifth, with another Finchum RBI single making it 5-5.
Colby Skeen led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk, then scored on a wild pitch to put TC on top 6-5, but sophomore
McCann Mellett (Charlotte, N.C.) ripped a one-out triple in the seventh, then scored the tying run on Schneider's RBI single.
Martin's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh put Tusculum on top 7-6. Llewellyn's pinch-hit RBI single in the top of the eighth tied it 7-7.
The Pioneers again had the answer in the bottom of the frame, getting RBI singles from McDade and Wapinsky to go on top 9-7.
Mitch McCain got the win, moving to 2-0. He tossed 1 2/3 shutout innings, striking out three. Junior right-hander
Austin Turgeon (Athens, Ga.) took the loss, falling to 1-1. He allowed two runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings, striking out one.
Game Two: Tusculum 7, Wingate 2
Dupuls went two-for-three with an RBI and run scored to lead Tusculum's offense in game two. Wapinsky added an RBI and run scored, while Martin and
Bradley Evans each added an RBI for the Pioneers.
Schneider homered to lead the Wingate attack in game two, while Andrus added a run scored. Junior infielder
Zach Little (Troutman, N.C.) collected a hit and run scored for the Bulldogs.
Wingate raced out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Schneider's second homer of the year, a solo shot to left.
Tusculum scored seven times in the fourth to take the lead, collecting five hits and taking advantage of two Wingate errors. The first run scored on an error and wild pitch, while a Dupuls RBI single put TC on top. Wapinsky followed with an RBI single to make it 3-1, while a throwing error allowed two more runs to score. A Martin RBI double and Evans RBI single capped the scoring in the frame, making it 7-1.
Wingate loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth on a pair of singles and a hit batsman, with an Andrus sacrifice fly making it a five-run game.
Zach Sanders got the win, moving to 2-1 on the year. He allowed two runs on four hits in four innings of work, striking out five and walking one.
Pedro Rodriguez worked three innings for the save, allowing just one hit while striking out six. Senior right-hander
Hunter Hamilton (Troy, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 1-1. He allowed two earned runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings, striking out one and walking three.
Both teams are back in action Sunday, wrapping up the three-game series at 1 p.m.
