Sunday, April 1, 2007

                     Lyda Tallies Two Hits In PC Loss To Tusculum

GREENEVILLE, Tenn.- Presbyterian dropped the final game of their three-game series with Tusculum 8-4 on Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park. With the loss, the Blue Hose fall to 16-29 overall, 5-16 in the league while the Pioneers (33-10, 12-5 SAC) complete the series sweep while winning its 12th straight game.

SAC Pitcher of the Week Raymond Ruggles pitched eight strong innings to improve his record to 5-3. Ruggles surrendered seven hits, two runs and struck out five in the win. PC starter Mitchell Odom (1-8) suffered the loss in his four innings of work.

Tusculum jumped out in front with three runs in the first inning. Christian Rosa drew a walk moved to second with his 13th stolen base of the season. Maikol Gonzalez drove in Rosa with his eighth double of the year. Webb answered with his first homer of the day, a two-run blast to left center field.

TC answered with two more runs in the third as Gonzalez walked, moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on Webb's second round-tripper of the game, his fifth of the year.

Presbyterian cut into the deficit with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Cory Lyda led off with a triple down the right field line and scored on Russell Robinson's RBI single. Robinson tallied PC's second run of the inning on Josh Milner's two-out double as the Blue Hose trailed 5-2.

Tusculum got the two runs back in the bottom of the frame as TC took advantage of a pair of errors. The Pioneers wrapped up its offensive output when Paul Finger made the score 8-2 with his solo home run in the fifth inning.

Webb, Gonzalez and Dustin Morrow each accounted for two hits, while Morrow extended his hitting streak to 14 consecutive games. Presbyterian out-hit the Pioneers 9-7, including two triples by Lyda and a pair of singles from Robert Anders.

Presbyterian will be at Coker College on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. contest. Tusculum returns to action on Wednesday when they host North Greenville University for a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Pioneer Park.


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