Baseball Day Two: Tusculum, Newberry, Presbyterian, Carson-Newman, Catawba Winners
April 25, 2003

Courtesy Newberry College Sports Information Office

Tusculum College Eliminates Mars Hill, 7-1

Newberry Scores Three in Ninth to Oust L-R from Baseball Tournament, 6-3

Presbyterian Defeats Wingate, 8-5

Carson-Newman Slaughters Catawba, 17-2

Catawba Scores Nine in Final Two Innings to Bounce Newberry, 10-3

Tusculum College Eliminates Mars Hill, 7-1
Box Score

CLINTON, S.C. — The #4 seeded Pioneers of Tusculum College eliminated the #8 seeded Lions of Mars Hill College 7-1 in the 2003 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament played at the PC Baseball Complex today.

The Pioneers improve to 30-18 on the season and will play the loser of the #2 seed Wingate University/#3 seed Presbyterian College game tonight at 8:00 pm at Kirkland Field on the campus of Newberry College. The Lions end the season with a 13-31 mark.

Tusculum took advantage of four Lion miscues in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. The Lions cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning thanks in part to a RBI ground out by junior second baseman Joe Weidman (Severna Park, MD) which scored freshman first baseman Matt Russell (Chapel Hill, N.C.) who had opened the inning with a triple.

The Pioneers increased their lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning when sophomore second baseman Mike Calano (Suwanee, Ga.) knocked out a two-run homer. The lead increased to 5-1 in the eighth inning when junior designated hitter Aaron Frye (Lebanon, Tenn.) connected on a solo homerun to right field. Tusculum’s junior shortstop Rob Bouman (Sterling, Va.) put the final touches on the 7-1 victory with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning.

The Pioneers starting pitcher, sophomore right-hander Chap Morris (Madison, Va.) picked up the win after throwing a complete game allowing one earned run on eight hits while striking out six batters. Mars Hill’s starter junior Tom Foster (Pasadena, MD) took the loss after going eight innings allowing five runs, three earned on seven hits while striking out five batters.

Frye led the Pioneers at the plate after going two-for-four with two RBI and one homerun while Calano and Bouman each tallied a pair of RBI on the day. Mars Hill was led by sophomore outfielder Justin Mahon (Ft. Myers, Fla.) and junior outfielder Trinity Phillips (Mars Hill, N.C.) who each tallied a pair of hits for the Lions.

Tusculum’s senior centerfielder Dave McMahon (Knoxville, Tenn.) picked off his 24th stolen base of the season today which ties the program’s single-season mark that he set last season. In addition, he has now tallied 48 career stolen bases which ties him for the program’s career lead in that category.

Newberry Scores Three in Ninth to Oust L-R from Baseball Tournament, 6-3
Box Score

NEWBERRY, S.C. – Newberry avenged last year’s elimination-game loss to L-R with three runs in the top of the ninth to put the Bears out of this year’s Food Lion / South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament 6-3 at Kirkland Field in Friday afternoon action.

Last season the Bears hit solo homers in the eighth and ninth to end the Indians’ season 9-8 in the first elimination game of the tournament. Newberry faces the loser of the 3:45 p.m. Catawba/Carson-Newman contest at Kirkland Field at 8:15 p.m.

The Indians (25-28) put up three runs in the first inning when the first three hitters of the game reached base and scored. Left fielder Gilmore Stevens (Edgefield, S.C.) singled to left and later advanced to third on a walk to center fielder Carlos Gonzalez (New York, N.Y.) and a wild pitch by Bears starter Andrew Cooper (Belmont, N.C.). Right fielder Dustin Smith (Conway, S.C.) singled on the infield to knock home Stevens and move Gonzalez to third. Newberry pitcher Billy Alm (Pine Plains, N.Y.) hit an RBI groundout to third to get Gonzalez home and move Smith to second. Smith scored on a single by third baseman Stuart Kay (Greer, S.C.) to end the scoring and post Newberry to the 3-0 lead.

Lenoir-Rhyne (21-25) gutted out three runs to tie over the first six innings. The first L-R score came on a leadoff solo homer down the right field line by designated hitter John Verdinek (High Point, N.C.), his second big fly of the season. In the third, left fielder John Pugh (Asheboro, N.C.) drew a one-out walk from Alm, advanced to second on a single by right fielder Brian Neill (Charlotte, N.C.) and scored on a fielder’s choice RBI groundout from third baseman Dustin Day (Lincolnton, N.C.).

Lenoir-Rhyne tied the game in the sixth on Verdinek’s second run of the game. As the first batter of that inning, Verdinek was hit by a pitch and later advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout. Center fielder Matt Wiley (Charlotte, N.C.) scored him from second on a single to right center field to force the tie.

L-R got a one-out infield single from Hopf in the eighth, but Newberry turned a double play to end the threat to keep the game tied into the ninth.

In that ninth frame, the Indians put runners at second and third on a walk, a sacrifice bunt, a single and an infield error with just one out. The Bears intentionally walked Gonzalez to load the bases, but relief pitcher Brett Yates (Purlear, N.C.) hit Smith to force in the go-ahead run. Alm hit into a fielder’s choice to force Stevens at home, but with two out senior Gene Dotson (Savannah, Ga.) hit a two-RBI single to left to push across the two insurance runs.

The Bears faced reliever Pete Stuppiello (Gilbert, S.C.) in the ninth, who allowed a leadoff walk, but the Indians turned their fourth double play of the game to erase the threat and Stuppiello got the third batter to groundout to end the game.

The win was Newberry’s first on its home field in the three-year turn at the tournament.

Alm got the win (7-3). In eight innings, he scattered just six hits and three walks, with one strikeout. Stuppiello recorded his second save of the season with the scoreless ninth.

Cooper took the loss (2-4) He allowed just seven hits in eight innings with four walks and three strikeouts. He was charged with four earned runs in the contest.

Presbyterian Defeats Wingate, 8-5
Box Score

CLINTON, S.C. - Presbyterian College held off a late Bulldog rally to defeat Wingate University 8-5 in quarterfinal action of the 2003 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament held at the PC Baseball Complex.

The Blue Hose (25-24) advance to tomorrow's semifinal round where they will take on top seed Carson-Newman College. The Bulldogs (29-22) move to the elimination bracket where they will play #4 seed Tusculum College tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.

Presbyterian took an early 1-0 lead in the first on junior outfielder Kevin White's (Spartanburg, S.C.) fielder's choice which scored senior third baseman Tombo Hite (Abbeville, S.C.). The lead increased to 3-0 in the fifth inning as Hite hit an RBI double followed by an RBI single from senior Davis Rice (Clinton, S.C.).

The Bulldogs responded in the top of the sixth inning with a pair of RBI singles from sophomore second baseman Jon Svanda (Chesterfield, Va.) and junior designated hitter Brandon Wright (Dallas, N.C.) to cut the lead to 3-2.

PC added two runs in the seventh to go ahead 5-2 on an RBI double from White and a RBI single from senior first baseman Matt Warren (Lexington, S.C.). Wingate trimmed the lead to 5-3 on a solo home run by junior first baseman Sherman Greer (Stanfield, N.C.) in the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, PC scored three runs highlighted by a RBI double from freshman second baseman Remington Ross (Fredrick, MD) and a RBI single from Rice to push the lead to 8-3.

Wingate mounted a late rally in the top of the ninth as junior shortstop David Yount (East Rutherford, N.C.) hit an RBI single followed by Greer's RBI scoring fielder's choice to cut the lead to 8-5. The Blue Hose ended the final Bulldog threat with a strikeout in the next at bat to hold on for the victory.

PC's junior pitcher Travis Hill (Rock Hill, S.C.) picked up the win to improve to 4-4 on the season after throwing six solid innings allowing two earned runs on seven hits while striking out five batters. For the Bulldogs, freshman starter Eric Brown (Hamlet, N.C.) took the loss to drop to 5-3 on the season after throwing seven innings allowing five earned runs on nine hits while striking out five batters.

At the plate, PC was led by Rice who went four-for-five with a pair of RBI while Hite went two-for-four with three runs scored. For the Bulldogs, Greer went two-for-four with two runs scored and two RBI while Yount was four-for-five with an RBI.

Carson-Newman Slaughters Catawba, 17-2
Box Score

NEWBERRY, S.C. – Carson-Newman College pounded out 17 runs and 18 hits en route to a 17-2 rout of Catawba in round two of the Food Lion / South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament at Kirkland Field in Newberry Friday afternoon. The number-one seeded Eagles advance to the winner’s bracket final game Saturday at 12:45 p.m. to face number-three seeded Presbyterian College. Catawba faces Newberry in an elimination game at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.

Carson-Newman (31-19) saw a 4-for-4 day from the conference’s leading RBI man Ricky Luttrell (Knoxville, Tenn.) who did not disappoint with a tournament-high eight driven in on a sacrifice fly, three RBI singles and a two-run homer to help blow out the Indians (29-24).

Carson-Newman was retired in order only twice in the game, and scored at least one run in each of the other seven innings off of seven different Catawba pitchers.

Third baseman Jonathan Mary (Maryville, Tenn.) scored a tournament-high five times and reached in each of his six plate appearances for the Eagles.

Carson-Newman starter Ryan West (Urbana, Ohio) pitched a complete-game victory (7-1) for the Eagles. He allowed 12 hits, but no walks and six strikeouts with the two runs scored against him.

Catawba starter Chris Abernathy (Claremont, N.C.) took the loss (5-5). He gave up four hits and two walks and five runs in an inning and two-thirds. He also hit a batter and balked in the game.

Catawba scored two runs in the seventh on a two-RBI double to left center by second baseman Blair Reynolds (King, N.C.), which was his only hit of the games. Center fielder Spence Southard (Greensboro, N.C.) and first baseman Matt Baker (Charlotte, N.C.) were both 3-for-5 for the Indians.

Catawba Scores Nine in Final Two Innings to Bounce Newberry, 10-3
Box Score

NEWBERRY, S.C. – A half-hour after dropping a 17-2 decision to Carson-Newman, the Catawba College Indians found the strength to come back and defeat Newberry College 10-3 in the third elimination game of the Food Lion / South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament Friday night at Kirkland Field. Catawba scored four in the eighth and five in the ninth to overtake Newberry in the game. Catawba advances to Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. game to take on the winner of that day’s 9 a.m. Wingate/Tusculum match-up.

Catawba (30-24) also got a strong day from hurler Matt Fairweather (Lenoir, N.C.). The dominating right hander tossed the seventh complete-game of the tournament and allowed only six hits and one walk through the full nine innings in the win (8-4). He struck out eight hitters and allowed three runs, but none were earned as Newberry scored them all in the third on a pair of errors in that inning.

Newberry (25-29) started that third inning with a leadoff hit to right field by first baseman Travis Moore (Blythewood, S.C.) Shortstop Wade Roof (West Columbia, S.C.) drew a walk and the two later moved up on a throwing error by Catawba to get Moore home and put Roof at third with no one out. An out later, designated hitter Gilmore Stevens (Edgefield, S.C.) singled to put runners at the corners. Left fielder Dustin Smith (Conway, S.C.) reached on another infield error to score Roof while Stevens came around on an RBI single by Stuart Kay (Greer, S.C.).

Newberry starter Pete Stuppiello (Gilbert, S.C.) threw seven and one-thirds innings of strong baseball, with seven strikeouts and only seven hits with one walk.

Catawba did not get anyone past second base in the first five innings, but in the sixth shortstop Chad Hill (Bennett, N.C.) hit a leadoff home run down the left field line to put Catawba on the board and close the Newberry lead to 3-1. Hill leads Catawba with a .462 average (6-for-13) in three games of the tournament so far. Catawba loaded the bases in that inning, but Stuppiello stranded the three runners on base.

Fairweather allowed only three baserunners past that three-run third for Newberry. He retired 17 of the final 18 Newberry batters to give his offense a chance to come back.

Catawba did deliver with four hits and two walks in the eighth to score four runs, the go-ahead run scoring on a two-RBI single by designated hitter Chris Foy (South Mills, N.C.) to make it 4-3 Catawba. The visiting Indians hit two singles, a double, and drew two more walks in the ninth to plate five and blow the game open. First baseman Matt Baker (Charlotte, N.C.) knocked two of them in with an RBI single up the middle.

Reliever Tyson Azevedo (North Charleston, S.C.) took the loss for Newberry (3-3). In two-thirds of an inning, he allowed three hits and a two walks and three earned runs in the loss.

Catawba third baseman Mark Smith (Browns Summitt, N.C.) and center fielder Spence Southard (Greensboro, N.C.) were 3-for-5 in the contest to lead the way for the Indians.