Sunday, March 23, 2003

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Two big innings and a 15-hit performance paced host Tusculum College to a 10-7 South Atlantic Conference baseball win over Lenoir-Rhyne College Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park. Tusculum (16-11, 4-5 SAC) completes the sweep of the three-game series as the Bears (17-11, 4-5 SAC) suffer their fourth straight defeat overall and fifth in a row to the Pioneers. (Box Score)

Tusculum rallied from behind for a second straight game despite surrendering 17 hits to the Bears. TC got multi-hit efforts from five players including the top four in the order. David McMahon (Knoxville, Tenn.) went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Robbie Bouman (Sterling, Va.), Guy O'Connell (Perth, Australia), George Hanger (Stauton, Va.) and Josh Wolff (Louisville, Ky.) each had two hits apiece. Wolff reached base in all five of his plate appearances on the day as the rookie extends his hitting streak to seven games.

Lenoir-Rhyne got on the board first in the second inning when Craig Gesslein (Charlotte, N.C.) led off with a single, moved to third on an error and scored on a ground ball for an early 1-0 lead. TC answered with a marker in the bottom of the frame when Wolff led off with his eighth double of the season and later scored on Doug Hering's (Okeana, Ohio) sacrifice fly to even the contest at 1-1.

The Bears bounced back with a run in their next at bat when John Verdinek (High Point, N.C.) drove home John Pugh (Asheboro, N.C.) from third. Verdinek finished the game 4-for-5 with three RBI. Tusculum responded in its at bat as they sent 11 batters to the plate including five straight singles to open the frame. The Pioneers plated five runs on seven hits in the inning, including a two-run single from Hering as TC took a 6-2 advantage.

But L-R wouldn't go away as the Bears chipped away at the lead with runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings to draw within one at 6-5. In each of those frames, Lenoir-Rhyne recorded three hits.

In the fourth, the Bears led off with three straight singles including Matt Wiley's (Charlotte, N.C.) RBI hit. TC starter Chap Morris (Madison, Va.) got out of the jam utilizing a double play.

The fifth inning also saw L-R get three consecutive hits as Brian Neill (Charlotte, N.C.) led off with a double and scored on a Verdinek single. But once again, Morris used the pitcher's best friend with another double play to get out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Dustin Day (Lincolnton, N.C.) led off with a single and crossed the plate on another Verdinek RBI-hit. Senior southpaw James Ulsh (Katy, Texas) spelled Morris to face pinch-hitter Brian Tester (Sugar Grove, N.C.) with one out. During Tester's at-bat, the Bears attempted a double-steal, but Hering threw out Matt Sigmon (Newton, N.C.) at third for the second out of the frame. Ulsh fanned Tester to get out of the inning holding onto a one-run lead.

The Pioneers recorded four runs in their half of the seventh as TC posted four hits including Mike Calano's (Suwanee, Ga.) two-run double scoring Wolff and Tim Wallin (Springfield, Ill.) as Tusculum led 10-5.

L-R kept coming back as Jason Bridges (Kings Mountain, N.C.) led off with a double and Lucas Jones (Lynchburg, Va.) reached on an infield hit with runners on the corners. Both would score on a pair of ground-outs and an error, but sophomore Jeff Bryant (Knoxville, Tenn.) relieved Ulsh and got out of the jam with TC leading 10-7.

L-R had one more chance in the ninth inning as Verdinek and J.R. Hopf (Tampa, Fla.) reached base with one-out singles. But Bryant struck out Bridges and got Jones to line out to end the game.

Morris improved his record to 4-2 as he pitched 6.1 innings, scattered 13 hits, allowed five runs, four earned, walked one and struck out two. Bryant recorded his first collegiate save tossing the final two innings, allowing two hits and struck out a pair. L-R starter Justin McLeymore (Cherryville, N.C.) suffered the loss falling to 3-2 on the season.

Wolff had a solid weekend for Tusculum reaching base in 10 of his 12 plate appearances in the SAC series. The freshman outfielder hit .667 and has reached base safely in his last seven times at the plate.

Four L-R players had multi-hit games, including Verdinek (4), Sigmon (3), Bridges (2) and Jones (2). Despite the three losses, Verdinek had a fine offensive weekend going 7-for-11 with six RBI. Sigmon also shined hitting 8-for-12 with a pair of doubles.

Both teams had solid efforts offensively as the Pioneers hit .406 as a squad this weekend while the Bears hit .363 during the three-game set.

Tusculum will be on the road Tuesday afternoon when they travel to Athens, W.Va. for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne returns home to host Pfeiffer University Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.