COLUMBUS, Ga. --- Placido Torres struck out 12 to improve his record to 11-0 and a five-run second inning helped propel Tusculum College to a 7-1 victory over Belmont Abbey College in an elimination game at the NCAA Division II Baseball Southeast Regional at Burger King Stadium Saturday night.
Torres became the first Pioneer pitcher since Ken Hughes in 1994 to win at least 11 games in a season, as fifth-seeded Tusculum (37-17) advanced to play seventh-seeded Mount Olive in an elimination game Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
The senior left-hander, who earlier this week was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year, recorded a dozen strikeouts for the eighth time in 14 starts to increase his school single-season total to 162, while throwing his seventh complete game of the season. Torres gave up seven hits and an eighth-inning run, and finished the game with a flourish by striking out the side in the ninth.
At the plate, the Pioneers took advantage of an error to score five runs in the second inning, highlighted by two-run singles from Kevin Victoriano and Nick Lacina. Jim Tolle added a solo home run as the Pioneers outhit the 15th-ranked Crusaders (39-16-1) by a 9-7 margin. Lacina and Victoriano each finished with a pair of hits for the Pioneers, while J.J. Wesley went 2-for-4 with two runs scored at the top of the lineup.
After a scoreless first inning, the Pioneers broke loose for five runs in the bottom of the second to take control. With one out, Crusader starter Matt Davenport issued back-to-back walks to Tolle and Jim Topoleski. Jeovanny Tolentino then reached on a throwing error, which enabled Tolle to score the game's first run. A bunt single by Wesley loaded the bases, and one out later Victoriano delivered a two-run single to give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead. Lacina then followed with another two-run single to bring home Wesley and Victoriano and extend the Tusculum advantage to 5-0.
In the third, Tolle hit his second home run of the season with one out to give the Pioneers a 6-0 lead and chase Davenport from the mound. Meanwhile, Torres struck out two batters in the fourth and used a double-play grounder started by Zach Finchum to end the fifth. The Pioneers tacked on a run in the fifth as Wesley struck out but reached on a wild pitch, then scored on a double by Dante Key for a 7-0 Tusculum advantage.
Belmont Abbey, seeded third in the regional and coming off an 11-4 loss to Lander Saturday afternoon, scored its only run in the top of the eighth as Colin Rosenbaum reached on a two-out single and scored on a double by Nick Nunziato. However, Torres struck out Thomas Yoder for the final out of the frame. In the ninth, Torres set down the side on strikeouts to give the Pioneers their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2012.
Davenport (5-4) gave up six hits and six runs (one earned) while walking two in 2 1/3 innings of work. Three relievers combined to allow one run on three hits while striking out five over the final 5 2/3 innings for the Crusaders.
Tusculum will play Mount Olive Sunday at 3:30 after the Trojans eliminated the top-seeded hosts from Columbus State with a 7-2 victory Saturday evening. The winner of the Tusculum-Mount Olive game will play the loser of Sunday's first game between Lander and USC Aiken at 7 p.m. Sunday.
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