GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College baseball team used a four-run, eighth inning in defeating UVa-Wise 11-7 Wednesday night at Pioneer Field. The victory secures the Pioneers' (30-17) 13th consecutive 30-win campaign.
It was a roller-coaster ride, as the Pioneers jumped out to a 4-0 lead and increased their advantage to 6-1 after the third.
The Cavaliers (12-30) trailed 7-2 after the sixth inning and scored a run in the seventh and used a four-run frame in the eighth to tie the game at 7-7.
Tusculum answered in the bottom of the eighth as the Pioneers batted around and used three hits, three walks and a wild pitch to bring home the go-ahead run, plus some important insurance tallies.
TC finished the night with 16 hits, including Jeremiah Tullidge's 3-for-4 performance, including his lead-off double in the eighth and scored the game-winning run. Kevin Victoriano reached base in all five of his plate appearances as he went 3-for-3 with a triple, two walks and three RBI. Andrew Bowerman, Chris Waylock and John Topoleski all finished with two hits each.
UVa-Wise totaled 13 hits, including Brett Yates 3-for-5 performance which included a two-run, two-out double in the eighth and tie the game at 7-7. Bill Steven and Chaz Tanner each went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Dallas Smithers finished with a pair of hits, including his fifth double of the season.
Tusculum plated three runs in the first inning, highlighted by Vicotoriano's two-out, two-run single. TC added a run in the second when Bowerman led off with his third triple of the season scored on Jeovanny Tolentino's sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead.
After the Cavalier's scratch out a run in the top of the third inning, TC answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Waylock led off with a single and later scored on Victoriano's second hit of the game, a triple to the gap in right field. He would score on Jalen Shuffler's deep fly out to center and a 6-1 advantage.
The two teams traded runs in the fifth and sixth innings. In the UVa-Wise fifth, Brettt Yates singled home Ty Lighton. In the bottom of the TC sixth, Tolentino and Tullidge got things started with back-to-back hits to put runners on the corners. Jim Tolle's ground out plated Tolentino for a 7-2 lead for the home team.
The Cavs scored an unearned run in the seventh and scored four times in the eighth as UVa-Wise sent 10 batters to the plate and had the bases loaded with two outs. Placido Torres relieved Devan Watts and struck out Smithers for the final out of the inning to keep the score deadlocked at 7-7.
In the Tusculum eighth, Tullidge laced his fifth double of the year to the wall in right center. After Tolle drew a walk, Waylock bunted Tullidge and Tolle into scoring position with one out. Following an intentional walk to Victoriano to load the bases, reliever Ty Lighton threw a wild pitch as Tullidge scampered in with the go-ahead run. Jale Shuffler drew a walk to load the bases again. Topoleski hit into a fielder's choice as Tolle was forced out at home on the play. But with two outs, Tanner Maloof legged out an infield single to drive in Victoriano and Shuffler with a pair of insurance runs.
Torres pitched a perfect ninth inning, including his school-record 99th strikeout of the season to improve his record to 8-3 on the season.
UVa-Wise relief pitcher Talon Young (1-4) suffered the loss for the Cavaliers.
The Pioneers will wrap up their 2015 campaign this weekend when they host Bluefield State College for a three-game series. The series opens with a 7:30 p.m. first pitch on Friday night against the Big Blues.
- TC -
