GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Top-ranked Limestone University defeated Tusculum University 20-7 in South Atlantic Conference men's lacrosse Wednesday evening at Pioneer Field.
The Saints (9-0, 4-0 SAC) scored 15 of the game's first 16 goals before being outscored 6-5 over the final 31 minutes by the Pioneers (1-7, 0-3 SAC). Thirteen different players scored goals for Limestone, which outshot Tusculum 53-26 in the match and went 3-for-3 with the man advantage.
Zachary Terry had three goals and two assists to lead the Saints, who ran off 12 straight goals over a span of 14 minutes during the first half. Blake Maracle had two goals and two assists and Austin Lamoureux contributed a goal and three assists in the victory.
TJ Caldwell led Tusculum with two goals, with a goal and an assist from Chase Penner and one goal each from Bryce Grimball, Austin Wallace, Clay Mendez and Blake Harrison.
Limestone went up 3-1 after three minutes before Mendez put the Pioneers on the board with 9:31 left in the first quarter. The Saints led 7-1 after one quarter and were up 15-1 with just over a minute remaining in the first half before Tusculum got two quick goals from Caldwell and Wallace heading into intermission.
Penner scored the only goal of the third quarter for the Pioneers, who played even in the fourth with the Saints as Harrison, Grimball and Caldwell each connected for Tusculum in the period.
Limestone held a 20-11 edge in faceoffs over Tusculum, while the Saints were 19-for-23 on clears and the Pioneers finished 18-for-26. Limestone owned a 51-32 ground ball advantage over Tusculum, with Tim Ladner and Kyler Donahue each earning five on faceoffs for the Saints with Grimball and Nolan Ross sharing the team lead for the Pioneers with five apiece.
Brenden Pecora played 28 minutes in goal for the Pioneers and made seven saves, with Nick Adams adding nine saves in nearly 32 minutes of playing time. Four keepers saw action for the Saints, with starter Nolan Hayes making seven saves and his three subs combining for five stops.
Tusculum will face its second straight Top 10 opponent on Saturday when the Pioneers host eighth-ranked Wingate at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs (5-2, 2-0 SAC) took down sixth-ranked Newberry 11-9 on the road on Wednesday night to keep pace with Limestone as the only unbeaten teams in SAC play.
