GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Junior Vinny Ferrara went 5-for-8 on the day with five runs scored and four RBI as the Tusculum College baseball team swept a doubleheader with visiting Bluefield State College Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
The Pioneers won by scores of 14-2 and 13-2 to sweep the three-game weekend series. Tusculum (31-21) also clinched its 12th consecutive 30-win campaign. Sunday marked the season finale for the Pioneers the final collegiate action for TC's seniors.
On the day, the Tusculum bats pounded out 27 hits, including nine doubles, two triples and two home runs in Sunday's twin-bill.
Game 1: Tusculum 14, Bluefield State 2 (Box Score)
Ferrara went 3-for-5 in the opener, scoring three times and drove in another in the Pioneers' 14-2 victory. Ferrara's three-hit effort was part of a 17-hit explosion for TC in the opener, including six in the Pioneers' seven-inning eruption in the fourth frame as TC rallied from an early 2-0 deficit.
Senior Taylor Foster accounted a pair of doubles and scored two runs, while sophomore outfielder Tanner Maloof recorded his first two hits of his TC career, including a two-run double on his first collegiate base knock.
Junior Cody Andreychuk tallied a pair of hits, including his second home run of the season, a solo shot over the left field wall in the fifth inning.
Senior Heath Comerford made his final hit of his Tusculum career a memorable one with his solo blast to right field in the sixth.
Junior Chris Waylock went 2-for-2 off the bench for the Pioneers.
The Big Blues finished the game with seven hits, including two-hit performances by Justin Bowler and Cory Payne.
BSC jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a two-out, two-run single down the right field line in the second inning off of Tusculum starting pitcher McKenly Berry. Berry rebounded and would not allow a base hit in his final three innings of action. The quartet of seniors Josh Jaro and Eddie Perkins, and freshmen Tyler Hall and Ben Cash each pitched an inning and posted two strikeouts as the Pioneers blanked BSC in the final seven innings.
In his five innings, Berry scattered five hits, allowed two runs and struck out six to improve his record to 4-2 on the year.
Game 2: Tusculum 13, Bluefield State 2 (Box Score)
Tusculum jumped out to a 12-0 lead through the first three innings of the second game en route to a 13-2 win in the series finale.
Ferrara once again led the charge going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. His two-run single in the third highlighted a six-run frame for the Pioneers to put the game out of reach. Foster followed Ferrara's big hit with a two-run double for his third of the day. He would finish the game with three RBI.
Junior Andrew Bowerman went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a run scored and his fourth double of the season. Junior Jalen Shuffler scored in each of his first three plate appearances and reached base in his first four.
Tusculum rookie Ethan Carpenter (5-1) picked up his fifth win of the season as he tossed three innings in a planned start where he allowed one hit, two walks and four strikeouts. Tusculum seniors Clark Ayers and Scott Simmons each threw a shutout inning to close out their final games in a TC uniform.
Comerford recorded two walks on the day to give him an even 100 for his career, making him one of only three players in program history to eclipse the century mark for bases on balls. His 50 walks in 2014 ties him with Lander University's Thomas Berry for the NCAA Division II national lead this season. Comerford's 1.04 walks per game average remains the best in the country.
Tusculum wraps up its 15th consecutive winning season as the Pioneers have been victorious in five of their final six contests. TC also completes a 22-5 record at Pioneer Park this year, marking the third straight season with 20 home wins and seventh since 2002. The 22 home wins are the third most in program history.
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