BREVARD, N.C. --- Vinny Ferrara went 3-for-4 with three RBI and Christian Raasch pitched a complete game win as Tusculum College split a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader at Brevard College Saturday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
Brevard won the first game 6-4, while Tusculum bounced back with a 6-4 victory in the night-cap.
Game 1: Brevard 6, Tusculum 4 (Box Score)
BC's John Slade hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning in leading the Tornados to a 6-4 win.
Slade went 2-for-4 in the game with four RBI and two runs scored as the Tornados fell behind on three occasions, but had an answer each time.
BC's Eric Renegar went 2-for-3 with a RBI, while Chad Fisher also posted a 2-for-4 performance in Saturday's first game.
Tusculum scored the first run of the game in the third inning as Nick Rodriguez reached on a BC error and later scored on a Jeremiah Tullidge sacrifice fly. Brevard answered with a run in the bottom of the inning as Matthew Proffitt hit a double down the left field line and moved to third on an error on the play. Following a walk, Slade laid down a squeeze bunt to drive Proffitt from third base.
TC took the lead again with a run in the fifth inning when Andrew Bowerman reached base on an error, stole second and scored on a RBI single from Tullidge. Brevard responded with a scoring tally in bottom of the fifth thanks to a Renegar RBI base hit.
Tusculum took a 3-2 lead with a run in the top of the seventh as Tullidge walked and scored on a two-out triple from Heath Comerford. But this time, Brevard responded with a run to tie it and another to take its first lead of the afternoon, including a RBI triple from Slade.
The Pioneers tied the game at 4-4 with a run in the eighth inning when pinch-runner Jalen Shuffler scored on a Ferrara RBI groundout.
BC reliever retired the Tusculum side in order in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for the Tornados in the bottom of the frame as Renegar drew a walk and scored on Slade two-run shot to right field, his first home run of the season.
Phillips picked up the win as he pitched two innings where he allowed walked one and hit another to even his record at 1-1.
Game 2: Tusculum 6, Brevard 4 (Box Score)
Tusculum roared out to a 6-0 lead, but had to hold off late charge by Brevard in a 6-4 victory in the second contest.
The Pioneers plated two runs in the first inning and four more in the second for the six-run lead. TC accounted for seven of its nine hits in the game in the first two innings.
Tullidge led of the game with a walk and moved to third base on Comerford's 11th double of the season. Following a walk to Taylor Foster, Ferrara stepped up and lined a two-run single to left field for a 2-0 TC lead.
TC utilized four hits and a pair of BC errors to score four times in the second inning, including RBI singles by Tullidge and Ferrara.
While the Pioneers bolted out to the early lead, Raasch worked out jams in each of the first four innings to limit the Tornados to an unearned run in the second inning.
Trailing 6-1, Brevard plated three runs in the sixth inning, including two on Slade's two-run homer to right field, his second of the afternoon. Tyler Tant followed with a walk and Brock Helton was hit by a pitch to bring the tying to the plate with no outs. TC turned a double play as Tant moved to third base. Following a walk, Kody Spencer drove in Tant with RBI single to pull BC to cut the Tusculum lead to 6-4. Raasch ended the threat with a groundout and retired the side in order in the seventh to seal the victory.
Bowerman went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored, while Tullidge scored a pair of runs for the Pioneers.
Raasch posted his second complete game of the year, scattering six hits, four runs, three earned with four strikeouts and four walks.
The two teams will close out the weekend series with Sunday's 1 p.m. contest.
- TC -
