Wednesday, March 26, 2008

 

TUSCULUM WRAPS UP HOME-STAND WITH 7-5 WIN OVER FALCONS

 

Maikol Gonzalez                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Maikol Gonzalez drove home the game-winning run in the eighth inning with his RBI base hit as the Tusculum baseball team defeated Montevallo, 7-5 at Pioneer Park.  With the victory the Pioneers (23-10) complete the two-game sweep of the Falcons (20-15) and ending an 11-game home-stand with a 9-2 slate.

 

                Tusculum jumped out early with four runs in the bottom of the third as Matt Webb (Duluth, Ga.) and Brandon Behenna (Sharpsburg, Ga.) posted RBI hits, while taking advantage of a fielding error to lead 4-0.

                    

                The score would remain that way until the sixth when Montevallo answered with a four-spot as Chris Cooper (Madison, Ala.) and B.J. Holloway (Klamath Falls, Oregon) had RBI singles and Brantly Clay (Columbus, Miss.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.  Jeremy Jones (Troy, Ala.) also drove in a run with his bases loaded walk to tie the game at 4-4.  Senior reliever Ryan Pfleger (Mason, Ohio) got the Pioneers out of the jam as he got a fly out to end the inning.

 

                In the bottom of the seventh, the Pioneers regained the lead when Christian Rosa (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a wild pitch.  Carlos Rivera (Leesburg, Va.) moved him over with a ground out.  Gonzalez (Maracaibo, Venezuela) drew a walk and Webb was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  After a strikeout, Jake Fowler drew a bases loaded walk as the Pioneers regained the lead, 5-4.

 

                But in the top of the eighth, Cooper tripled to the gap in right center and later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.  Chris Wiley (Hartselle, Ala.) drew a walk and Nelson Garcia, Jr. (Tampa, Fla.) pinch ran for him.  Clay singled him over the third to place runners on the corners with one out.  Jones flied out to right field with Garcia tagging up at third, but Fowler threw him out at home to end the inning.

 

                In the bottom of the frame, Aaron Hudgins (Kingsport, Tenn.) reached on a one-out single and moved to second when Rosa was hit by a pitch.  With two outs, Gonzalez stepped and singled through the left side of the infield, scoring Hudgins.  On the play Gonzalez was caught in a run down between first and second, allowing Rosa to score an insurance run for the Pioneers.

 

                Tusculum reliever Carlos Ortiz (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) hit the lead-off batter, but retired the next three batters for the Pioneers’ fourth straight victory.  Ortiz went two innings and allowed a hit to improve to 2-1 on the season.  UM’s Zach Andrews (Hartselle, Ala.) suffered the loss as he fell to 5-2 on the year.

 

                Each team recorded seven hits, including two each by Eric Moore (Florence, Ala.) and Cooper for Montevallo.  Garcia was the only TC player to post a multi-hit outing, while Rosa scored three runs in the win.

 

                The Pioneers are on the road this weekend for a three-game non-conference series at Limestone, beginning with Saturday’s doubleheader.

 

- TC -