Tuesday, March 18, 2008

 

HYNDSMAN SHINES, TUSCULUM BASEBALL BEATS SAINTS 12-8

 

Marc Hyndsman            GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Marc Hyndsman went 4-for-5 as the Tusculum baseball team rattled off 17 hits en route to a 12-8 win over Limestone College Tuesday afternoon at Pioneer Park.

 

            Both teams combined for 31 hits on the day (TC 17, LC 14), including a 3-for-4 efforts by TC’s Maikol Gonzalez and Aaron Hudgins.  Carlos Rivera also accounted for a pair of hits in Tusculum’s fourth straight win.

 

            Limestone (18-13) was led at the plate by Zach Watkins as he went 3-for-5, while Dylan Anthony recorded his sixth and seventh doubles of the season.  Phillip Soden, Drew Lydon and Josh Izokovic also had multi-hit games as the Saints saw their five-game winning streak come to an end.

 

            Tusculum got on the board first when Christian Rosa sent a first pitch fast ball down the left field line for his sixth home run of the year, extending his hitting streak to 24 straight games.

 

            Limestone answered in the top of the second when Lydon and led off with a single and moved to second on the first of Anthony’s two doubles.  TC starter Mat Galens looked to get out of the jam with three straight strikeouts, but on the third fanning, the ball was in the dirt and got away from Hyndsman and rolled into the Limestone dugout, allowing Lydon to score from third to tie the game at 1-1.

 

            Tusculum (19-9) came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning and another tally in the third to take a 4-1 advantage.

 

            But in the top of the fourth, Limestone recorded four runs on four hits, including a two-run single by Justin Moore and a RBI double by Anthony as the Saints went ahead 5-4.  Limestone added another run in the sixth on Adam McSwain’s two-out single, scoring Watkins.

 

            In the bottom of the sixth, Tusculum batted around thanks to six hits, including a two-run double by Gonzalez.  Matt Webb drove in Gonzalez with a RBI single to center field, which rolled under the outfielder’s glove and rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Webb to round the bases to put the Pioneers up 8-6.  Tusculum added another run on Hudgins’ RBI single as TC led 9-6.

 

            TC plated three more runs in the seven thanks to RBI singles by Jake Fowler and Dustin Morrow, while Brandon Behenna drove in TC’s 12th run on a sacrifice fly.

 

            Limestone added a pair of runs in the ninth on run scoring hits by Lydon and A.J. Bsharah as Tusculum prevailed 12-8.

 

            Tyler Collins, who relieved Galens in the fifth, improved his record to 2-0 as he went 3.1 innings, allowed four hits, a run and struck out four.  Brett Wease (0-1) suffered the loss for the Saints in relief of starter Marques Kyles.

 

            Tusculum returns to action Wednesday when it hosts Caldwell for a third time in three days.  TC swept a doubleheader over the Cougars (5-6) on Monday.  Limestone will be at No. 27 Carson-Newman on Wednesday in Jefferson City, Tenn.

 

- TC -