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 -