Saturday, May 3, 2008

 

TUSCULUM BASEBALL SWEEPS NO. 6 CUMBERLAND

 

                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The No. 17 Tusculum College baseball team swept a doubleheader against sixth-ranked University of the Cumberlands Saturday at Pioneer Park.  The Pioneers rallied from a six-run deficit to win the opener 13-10.  In the second game, Tusculum got solid pitching, while taking advantage of eight walks to win 5-3 to complete the sweep.

 

                Tusculum (ranked 17th in NCAA Division II) improves its record to 40-13 overall, clinching the Pioneers fourth consecutive 40-win campaign, a first in school history.  The Patriots (No. 6 in NAIA Division I) slip to 43-14 on the season.

 

Game 1: Tusculum 13, Cumberland (Ky.) 10

 

                Aaron Hudgins went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Maikol Gonzalez added two hits and drove in three runs as Tusculum prevailed 13-10.

 

                Tusculum fought back from a 6-0 deficit as the Pioneers plated four runs in the first and eight more in the fifth inning, including a three-run double by Hudgins.

 

                The Patriots batted around in the opening frame as Jeff Poff led off with a double and the hit-parade was on.  Drew Denton, Robert Mills and Trae Balzano each singled as six of the first seven batters scored for Cumberland.

 

                Tusculum responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, including a RBI triple by Gonzalez and run-scoring singles by Matt Webb, Paul Finger and Matt Ford.

 

                Mills got one of the runs back with his 13th home run of the year, a solo shot in the second inning over the right-field wall as the Patriots led 7-4.

 

                The score would remain that way until the fifth as Tusculum sent 11 batters to the plate, including a two-run double by Gonzalez and a bases loaded walk drawn by Marc Hyndsman.  With the bases still full, Hudgins doubled off the wall in left field to clear the bases, giving TC an 11-7 lead.  Christian Rosa, who scored earlier in the inning to start the rally, drove in the eighth run of the contest with his sacrifice fly out.

 

                Reliever Ryan Pfleger recorded the win for the Pioneers to improve to 3-0 on the season, while Tio McLean posted his four save of 2008.  Carlos Ortiz was solid in relief as he went 3 1/3 innings, while allowing three hits, three unearned runs and posted six strikeouts.

 

                Mills and Balzano each accounted for three hits, while Luis Raffan added two hits in the loss.

 

                Gonzalez tied a school single-season record with his 29th stolen base, tying the mark set by Rosa last season.  Gonzalez also extended his hitting streak to 28 straight games.

 

Game 2: Tusculum 5, Cumberland (Ky.) 3

               

                Webb went 2-for-3 and starter Eric Donahue (7-1) won his seventh game of the year as the Pioneers captured the night-cap 5-3.

 

                Tusculum plated two runs each in the first and third innings and added another in the fourth as the Pioneers tallied only four hits in the contest.  But Tusculum took advantage of eight walks and a pair of hit batsmen as Tusculum improved its home record to 20-4 this year.

 

                Two of those walks went to Gonzalez, but he went hitless in the contest, ending his hitting streak.

 

                Rosa blasted a towering shot to left field for his 11th home run of the season, while Rivera scored twice in the game and three times on the day.  Rosa has scored 70 runs this season, which is a new school record.  Rivera (68) and Gonzalez (67) are also in pursuit of the record.

 

                Mat Galens pitched a perfect ninth inning to post his fourth save of the year and 11th of his career.

 

- TC -