Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Championship: Tusculum Forces Second Title Game, Then Wins Crown
April 24, 2005

SAC Sports Information Directors contributed to these releases

Tusculum 16, Carson-Newman 9

Final: Tusculum 9, Carson-Newman 4

Tusculum 9, Carson-Newman 4 Box Score

The Tusculum baseball team rightfully celebrates their taking the 2005 Food Lion SAC baseball championship, winning the title after forcing a second game. It's the Pioneers' first crown in baseball. Photo courtesy Tusculum Sports Information Office

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers got timely hitting and solid pitching to capture their first-ever Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Championship, defeating No. 3 seed Carson-Newman 9-4 Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park.

After losing its opening game in the tournament on Thursday, the Tusculum Pioneers recorded six consecutive victories, including two on Sunday against the Eagles. Tusculum, ranked No. 24 in NCAA Division II, improves its record to 40-13 and now awaits word of its possible postseason fate. Carson-Newman falls to 32-24 overall for the season.

TC's George Hanger went 2-for-4 in the game while driving in three RBI, while Tim Brown, Greg Stotser, Adam Hicks and Adam Beacham each posted multi-hit outings.

Pioneer starter Chap Morris (3-0) came up with one of the biggest pitching performances of his career as he tossed 7.1 innings, scattered nine hits, allowed four runs, two earned, walked one and struck out one.

Carson-Newman was led by Nathan Gravley's 2-for-3 effort, while Adam Kovar went 2- for-4 in the losing effort.

Tusculum drew first blood in the first inning as two-time All-Conference performer Skip Talarek reached on a two-out single and scored on Hanger's 13th double of the season as the Pioneers led 1-0. TC added another run in the bottom of the fourth as Kenny Reed led off with a double and crossed the plate himself on Stotser's RBI single.

Carson-Newman fought back with three runs in the top of the fifth frame as Kover singled and Jonathan Mary moved him to third reaching on a two-base error. Both would score to tie the game at 2-2 on Kyle Beall's 12th double of the year. Beall would score to give C-N its first lead of the day on T.J. Graves' RBI single.

Tusculum got the three runs back in their half of the fifth as Brown, Hanger came through with RBI singles and Talarek scored on a double-play ball to move the Pioneers up to a 5-3 advantage.

TC added two more runs in the sixth inning to move out to a 7-3 advantage. But the Eagles wouldn't go away as Gravely drew a bases loaded, two-out walk to trim the deficit at 7-4. SAC Pitcher of the Year Brent Gabel was brought on board to face Bryce Thomas, representing the potential go-ahead run. Gabel struck out Thomas on three straight pitches to get out of the inning.

The Pioneers added two more runs in the eighth inning and Gabel retired the side in order in the C-N ninth for his first save of the year.

Beacham had a marvelous Tournament as he batted .500 with 12 RBI and recorded four home runs.

Tusculum 16, Carson-Newman 9 Box Score

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers used a nine-run explosion in the fourth inning to set the tone for the entire contest as the second-seeded Pioneers forced another championship game with the third-seeded Eagles, downing Carson-Newman 16-9.

The Eagles out-hit the Pioneers 20-18 in the game but left 11 runners on base. Kenny Reed (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Adam Beacham (Atlanta, Ga.) each smacked three-run homers to power the Pioneers to the win.

Jeff Bryant (Knoxville, Tenn.) went deep into the game for the Pioneers on the mound, pitching seven and two-thirds innings, striking out three batters.

The first run in the fourth inning came when Adam Hicks (Bristol, Tenn.) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Reed. That run snapped the 26-inning scoreless run the Eagles had built during the tournament in games against Lenoir-Rhyne, Newbeny and Catawba. The first run in the fourth inning came when Adam Hicks (Bristol, Tenn.) hit a sacrifice fly.

Matt Riggs (Dayton, Tenn.) hit a twn-run single to right and Tim Brown (Flint, Mich.) followed that with a two-run triple. The final blow would come when Reed smacked a three-run homerun to right field. Eight of the nine runs TC scored in the fourth came with two outs.

The Eagles trailed 10-2 going into the eighth inning but pushed six runs across the plate. Carson-Newman had four consecutive RBI singles and Derrick Calkin (Maryville, Tenn.) cut the score to 10-8 with a two-run double.

But any hopes of an Eagle comeback were dashed as the Pioneers scored five runs in the top of the fifth. Greg Stotser (Columbus, Ga.) hit a two-run single and Beacham blasted a three-run homer to left field.

The two teams will play one more game for the SAC championship,