Friday,
May 16, 2003
PIONEERS
END BLUE HOSE SEASON 7-6 IN ELIMINATION ROUND
OF NCAA DIVISION II BASEBALL SOUTH REGIONAL
LAKELAND,
FL — The Tusculum College Pioneers found a way to solve
their troubles against the Presbyterian College Blue Hose with
today’s 7-6 come-from-behind victory in game #3 of the NCAA
Division II Baseball South Atlantic Regional.
The Blue Hose (27-28)
entered the game holding a 4-0 mark against the Pioneers
(34-20) this season including a 13-5 win in the championship
game of the 2003 Food Lion/South Atlantic Conference
Tournament. Earlier in the year, PC swept Tusculum in three
games to open the league schedule. With the win today, the
Pioneers advance to tonight’s 7:00 pm elimination round
final against the loser of #2 Florida Southern and #7 Tampa
which will take place at 3:00 pm this afternoon. The Blue Hose
end the season at 27-28.
Presbyterian took an early
5-1 lead entering the sixth inning thanks in part to two RBI
double from junior designated hitter Heath
McCutcheon (Newberry, S.C.) in the first and an RBI
double from senior shortstop Davis Rice (Clinton, S.C.) in the
second. Tusculum’s lone run came off a wild pitch in the
first inning.
The Pioneers started their
comeback in the bottom of the sixth as sophomore designate
hitter George Hanger (Stauton, Va.) hit a two RBI single to cut the lead to
5-3. PC added a run in the eighth on a single by sophomore
third baseman Jonathan
Wyman (Duluth, Ga.) to increase the lead to 6-3. In
the bottom of the inning, Tusculum scored three runs to the
tie the game at 6-6. The first run scored off a Blue hose
error followed by two RBI single from sophomore second baseman
Mike Calano (Suwanee, Ga.).
In the ninth, PC came up
empty at the plate and tried to hold on in Tusculum’s last
turn at bat. The Pioneers opened with a pair of singles
followed by an intentional walk to load the bases. Freshman
leftfielder Brian
Lovett (Knoxville, TN) made the play of the game with
single to score the game-winning run.