GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Isaiah Williams-Rhem's two-run double in the top of the seventh inning accounted for the only offense of the game as second-ranked Wingate blanked Tusculum 2-0 Saturday afternoon in a South Atlantic Conference baseball game at Pioneer Park.

The Bulldogs (38-5, 18-2 SAC) complete the three-game sweep of the Pioneers (16-26, 5-16 SAC) while posting the team's second shutout of the year.

It was an old-fashioned pitchers' duel as Wingate's Mitch Farris and Tusculum's Tyler Harmon went toe-to-toe through the opening six innings.

Tusculum had its best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second inning when Christian Ortega led off with an infield single and Luis Ezra followed with single up the middle which got away from centerfielder Justin Guy allowing the runners to move to second and third with one out. But Farris responded with back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.

Wingate looked to have a something going in the fourth as Grayson Chapman reached on a one-out single and Brett Adams followed with a base hit to right field. Chapman rounded second and was motoring to third, but rightfielder Ryan Dos Santos threw him out on a laser throw to Ortega who applied the tag for the out.

In the Wingate seventh, Adams drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on Seaver King's single up the middle. Williams-Rhem lined a double to the gap in right field to bring home Adams and King to break the scoreless draw.

Harmon was relieved by Drew Sliwinski who retired the next three batters to limit the damage as the Bulldogs led 2-0.

Wingate's Jordan Howard (4-0), who took over for Farris in the sixth, pitched 2.2 innings of one-hit relief where he posted two strikeouts to record the victory. Corey Avant pitched a perfect ninth inning for his second save of 2022. Avant was helped by a sensational diving catch by Guy on pinch-hitter Will Samuelson's liner to the right field gap.

Wingate finished the game with eight hits including two each by Chapman and Adams. Tusculum five singles came from Dos Santos, Ortega, Ezra, Blaze McCauley and Kyle Williams.

Harmon suffered his first loss of the year as he went six innings, allowed two runs on seven hits, one walk and six strikeouts. Sliwinski was masterful in his three shutout innings.

Tusculum will close out the season next week with five road games beginning with Tuesday's trip to King University for a 3 p.m. mid-week contest.