Sunday, February 24, 2008

 

TUSCULUM BEATS LMU 5-3, PIONEERS SWEEP SAC SERIES

 

Matt Webb                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Matt Webb went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and three RBI as the No. 27 Tusculum College baseball team defeated Lincoln Memorial University, 5-3 Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park.  The Pioneers (8-5, 3-3 SAC) complete the sweep of the weekend South Atlantic Conference series with the Railsplitters (10-9, 2-4 SAC).

 

                Tusculum jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but had to hold off a late LMU rally in recording its 15th consecutive home victory.

 

                TC starter Eric Donahue (1-0) recorded the victory as he went seven innings, allowed eight hits, three runs, two earned, walked one and struck out three.

 

                Tusculum got on the board first in the second inning as Dustin Morrow came through with a two-out single and later scored on Webb’s triple to right center.  In the third inning, TC added another scoring tally as Maikol Gonzalez drew a one-out walk, stole second and later scored on Christian Rosa’s RBI single.

 

                Tusculum plated three more runs in the sixth frame with the big hit coming on a two-run double by Webb scoring Paul Finger and pinch-runner Eric Barclay.

 

                LMU cut into the deficit with a run in the seventh as Shane Kaufman doubled, moved to third on an error and later scored on a wild pitch.

 

                In the top of the eighth, LMU’s TeWayne Willis, Storm Kaufman and Ralph Rojas led off with consecutive singles to load the bases, chasing Donahue out of the game.  Tusculum brought in All-Conference reliever Mat Galens.  Galens gave up back-to-back singles as LMU cut the deficit to two (5-3) and still had the bases loaded.  Galens bounced back as he retired the next three batters, including a pair of strikeouts as the Pioneers maintained the lead.

 

                Galens would only surrender a walk in the ninth as he recorded his first save of the season.

 

                LMU starter Casey Sedley (2-1) suffered the loss as he went 5.1 innings, where he allowed six hits, five runs, four earned, walked four and fanned two.  Reliever Steven Starbird was solid out of the bullpen as he retired eight of the nine Pioneers he would face, while only surrendering a walk and struck out two.

 

                LMU out-hit the Pioneers by a 10-6 margin as Sedley and Shane Kaufman and Storm Kaufman each finished with two hits apiece.

 

                Morrow went 2-for-3 for the Pioneers, scoring a run and tallying a RBI.

 

                Tusculum returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts North Greenville for a 4 p.m. contest at Pioneer Park.

 

- TC -