Sunday, March 9, 2008

TUSCULUM BASEBALL SPLITS SAC PAIR AT MARS HILL

MARS HILL, N.C. --- The Tusculum baseball team split a South Atlantic Conference double-header with host Mars Hill Sunday afternoon at Henderson Field. Mars Hill won the first game 3-2 and the Pioneers bounced back to win the nightcap, 9-6. MHC is now 14-11 overall and 3-5 in the SAC. The Pioneers took their season record to 11-8 on the season, 5-6 in the league.

Game 1: Mars Hill 3, Tusculum 2

In game one, Brian Williams (Orlando, FL) accounted for all of the Lions' offense and Daniel Stewart (Asheville, NC) held the Pioneers to just two runs to lead MHC to a 3-2 victory.

TC scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning after Payden Houser (Lincolnton, NC) doubled to plate Paul Finger (Lincolnton, NC). The Lions tied the game in the bottom half of the inning when Williams hit a solo home run to center field.

Maikol Gonzalez (Maracaibo, Venezuela) singled up the middle in the fifth inning to drive in Carlos Rivera (Leesburg, VA) and give the Pioneers a 2-1 advantage. Williams then homered with one out in the sixth inning to plate the tying and game winning runs. Corry DiBiase (Orlando, FL) reached base earlier hitting a double to left-center.

Williams was 2-for-3 at the plate with two homers, three RBI and two runs scored. DiBiase and Matt Oleski (West Seneca, NY) had the Lions' other hits in the contest. Stewart threw six innings scattering seven hits to pick up the win (3-2) for the Lions on the mound. Charlie Harrison (Granite Falls, NC) picked up his first save on the season throwing the final inning setting the Pioneers down in order.

Gonzalez led TC going 2-3 with a RBI and a stolen base. Houser was 1-2 with a RBI. Raymond Ruggles (Newport, TN) took the loss (3-2) for the Pioneers on the mound.

Game 2: Tusculum 9, Mars Hill 6

TC started the second game scoring two runs in their first at-bat. Christian Rosa (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) hit a solo homerun to lead-off the game and then Dustin Morrow (Lexington, KY) doubled to right-center to drive in Gonzalez. MHC answered putting up four runs in the bottom of the first frame on four hits and two TC errors. Oleski had a two-RBI single to right field to highlight the inning.

The Pioneers trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the second inning when Nick Howington (Bristol, TN) crossed the plate on a fielder's choice. Daniel Coffey (Granite Falls, NC) extended the Lions' advantage to 6-3 in the bottom half of the second inning when he doubled to left field to score Williams and Devin Presnell (Boone, NC).

Morrow homered to left field to start the third inning and bring the Pioneers within a couple of runs (6-4) of the Lions. TC put the contest away in the fourth inning scoring four runs on five hits highlighted by a pinch-hit single up the middle by Sean Cotten (Mooresville, NC) that scored two runs. The Pioneers added an insurance run in the fifth inning when Gonzalez doubled to right-center to plate Rosa.

Gonzalez went 3-3 with two RBI, a pair of runs scored and a double to lead TC at the plate. Morrow had two hits and three RBI with a homerun. Rosa also had two hits and scored three times. Eric Donahue (New Market, NH) threw four innings allowing just six hits and one earned run to get the win (2-0). Tyler Collins (Snellville, GA) threw the final inning to pick up his first save on the season.

Coffey and Oleski led MHC with two hits apiece. Coffey added a double and two RBI. Justin Hall (Martinsville, VA) took the loss (4-2) for the Lions on the mound.

Tusculum will be in Alabama this week, beginning with Tuesday’s game at 2007 NCAA Regional participant Stillman.

- TC -