Tuesday, April 8, 2008

TUSCULUM BASEBALL WINS SEVENTH IN A ROW, PIONEERS BEAT MILLIGAN 8-3

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Maikol Gonzalez went 3-for-4 to lead the Tusculum baseball team to an 8-3 home win over Milligan College Tuesday night at Pioneer Park. The Pioneers (31-11) extend their winning streak to seven in a row, while also claiming their seventh home victory.

Of Tusculum’s dozen hits, six were of the extra-base variety, including two doubles, three triples and Matt Ford’s fourth home run of the season.

The Pioneers erupted for four runs in the second inning as TC muscled out five hits, including back-to-back RBI triples by Aaron Hudgins and Eric Barclay. Payden Houser got the scoring started with his one-out double to score Ford from first base.

TC extended its advantage to 5-0 on Ford’s solo blast over the left field wall in the fourth inning.

The Buffaloes (16-21) plated two runs in the fifth inning as Milligan recorded four hits, including a two-run single by Spencer Street. The Pioneers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning as Gonzalez led off with his sixth triple of the year. After a walk to Sean Cotten, Eric Conley came through with a two-run double as TC led 7-2.

TC added a run in the eighth on a RBI single by Carlos Rivera, while Milligan followed with a tally in the ninth as Dallas Crouch scored from third on a passed ball.

Rivera went 2-for-4 with two RBI to extend his hitting streak to seven games, while Ford also had a two-hit night.

Alex Bush led Milligan going 2-for-3, while Mark Simo and Street accounted for two hits apiece in the loss.

Tusculum used seven pitchers on the night, including TC starter Max Keleher (3-1) as he retired the first eight batters in a row as he allowed one hit and struck out two. Milligan starter Todd Caldwell (1-7) suffered the loss.

The Pioneers close out the South Atlantic Conference portion of its schedule this weekend as TC hosts Wingate for a three-game series, beginning with Friday night’s 7 p.m. contest.

- TC -