GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum reliever John-Austin Shepard got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh inning to preserve a 5-2 victory over South Atlantic Conference front-runner Wingate Friday night at Pioneer Park.

Shepard tossed three shutout innings to record his SAC-leading ninth save, which is a new school record breaking the previous mark set by himself last season and Wes Hill's 2006 save tally.

The loss drops the Bulldogs (28-17, 19-6 SAC) into a first place tie with Catawba, who won 6-2 at Mars Hill earlier on Friday. The Pioneers (26-15, 15-10 SAC) remain in third place in the league standings ast TC and Wingate will close out the 2013 conference season on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

Tusculum starter Taylor Rakes (5-2) recorded the win in his final SAC regular-season outing as he went six innings, allowed two runs on eight hits, no walks and five strikeouts in his 105-pitch performance.

With Wingate leading 2-0 in the sixth inning, the Pioneers rallied with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Heath Comerford singled and Matt Henriksen was hit by a pitch to put the tying runs aboard with one out. Trey Drewery stepped up and laced a two-run triple to the right field gap to even the score at 2-2. Senior Joe Polichetti lined out to centerfield, which was deep enough to drive in Drewery from third with the go-ahead score.

In the top of the seventh, the first three Bulldogs got on base as Jason Hunter reached on an error and Brad Cherry sent a dribbler up the middle, but shortstop Tripper Crisson's throw to second was not in time to get out Hunter. Michael Godinez laid down a bunt single to the third base side with a two-strike count against him, to load the bases.

The Pioneers went to their ace Shepard. It was an all but familiar scenario for the TC right-hander. In last year's SAC Tournament championship game against Wingate, he inherited a situation with two-runners on and no-out situation with Tusculum holding onto a one-run lead. He would strike out the heart of the Wingate order to preserve the win in that contest.

This time it was a bases-loaded a no-out problem he inherited. He got the first out when Eric Serra lined out to Crisson. Bill Krebs, who hit a solo homer an inning earlier, grounded into an inning ending double play to preserve the TC lead.

Tusculum added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth inning, highlighted by a RBI single off the bat of Cade Stallings.

Shepard retired the side in order in the eighth and got a game-ending double play in the ninth, the third of the contest for the Tusculum defense.

The Pioneers recorded nine hits, including three from Jalen Shuffler and two hits from Comerford to extend his 10-game hitting streak.

Wingate starter Ben Currie (6-2) suffered the loss as he allowed four runs on eight hits, two walks and five strikeouts in his six innings of work. WU reliever Kyle Brady pitched the final two frames, allowing a hit, an unearned run, a walk and two strikeouts.

Godinez was the top hitter for Wingate as he went 2-for-3 in the game.

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