KODAK, Tenn. --- Colin Allman went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead top-seeded Newberry College to a 10-6 win over No. 4 seed Tusculum University in day two action of the Pilot/Flying J South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament Saturday at Smokies Stadium.
The Wolves (40-12, No. 10 in NCAA Division II) advances to Sunday's winner's bracket final against the winner of the Lincoln Memorial/Catawba game. Tusculum is eliminated from the SAC Championship and ends its season at 30-21.
Newberry jumped out to a 10-1 lead scoring in each of the first three frames including a 6-run third inning. Tusculum made a late charge scoring five times in the seventh inning, including a two-run double by shortstop Bryson Ford and a RBI double from designated hitter Nate Montgomery.
Newberry starting pitcher Tomas Sorcia, Jr. went six innings where he allowed five runs (4 earned), three hits, six walks and seven strikeouts to improve to 8-0 on the season. Tyler Fuhr pitched a three-inning save, his second of the year. Tusculum starter Zach Sanders (4-3) suffered the loss as he went 2.1 innings.
Newberry got on the board first thanks to Allman's two-out RBI double. The Pioneers answered with a run in the bottom of the first when Daulton Martin drew a walk and moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt. After a foul out, Montgomery drove in his first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field to knot the game at 1-1.
The Wolves added a run in the second when Tony Matos scored from third on Peyton Strangler's squeeze bunt. In the third, 11 batters went to the plate for the Wolves as Newberry scored six runs on five hits and a TU error. Newberry added a run each in the fifth and seventh innings to make it a 10-1 lead for the Wolves.
In the bottom of the seventh the first four Pioneers drew walks including Zack Finchum to drive in the first run of the inning. Pinch-hitter Bradley Evans drove in the second run of the frame with a fly out to the warning track in left to bring home Jaden Steagall. After a fly out, Ford doubled off the wall in left field to bring home Chase Wullenweber and Finchum to make it a 10-5 game. Montgomery posted his second hit of the game with his 12 double of the year to bring TU to within four at 10-6.
But that would be as close as the Pioneer would get as Fuhr retired the Pioneers in order in the eighth and worked around a lead-off error in the ninth to secure the victory.
TU reliever Mitch McCain went 4.0, allowed four hits, three runs (2 earned), three walks and posted three strikeouts. Senior Andrew Willis pitched 2.2 shutout innings allowing one hit and a walk in his final appearance for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers established a couple of single-season records this year as Tusculum pitchers recorded 494 strikeouts, while also TU batters being hit by a pitch a school-record 81 times.
Martin drew his 52nd walk of the season, which are the second most in TU history. It was also the 105th of his career tying him for second place with Alexi Colon (2011-2012) for second place all-time for career bases on balls and just one shy of the record 106 posted by Sean Cotten (2008-2011).
Tusculum finishes the year with 30 or more wins for a 16th time in the last 17 years.
