WILSON, N.C.-Tusculum scored the first four runs of the series and held on for a 5-3 Southeast Region win against host Barton College in Tuesday's opening game of a three-game series at Nixon Field.
The second game of Tuesday's doubleheader scheduled for seven innings was halted tied 5-5 after eight complete due to darkness. The Bulldogs fourth extra-inning home game of the season will resume at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday followed by the series finale approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of that contest.
Tusculum won its seventh consecutive game improving to 15-4 overall. Barton slips to 6-13 after suffering its fifth straight home loss.
Junior designated hitter Nate Reid (Bourbonnais, Ill.) led the Pioneers reaching base safely in all five of his plate appearances including two singles and three walks. Reid scored three times including tagging up on a classmate Aaron Guinn (Norris, Tenn.) sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh that extended TC's advantage to 5-1.
Barton made things interesting in the home half of the seventh. Sophomore catcher Zac Crumpler (Wilson, N.C.) poked a two-run single to cut the deficit to 5-3. The Bulldogs then loaded the bases on a single by senior Matt Willis (Wilmington, N.C.) and a walk by sophomore J.D. McCarty (Colonial Heights, Va.).
Freshman reliever John-Austin Shepard (Haymarket, Va.) got Tusculum out of the bases loaded jam with a strikeout. Shepard then retired Barton batters in order in the eighth and ninth to pick up his second save of the season and preserve the win for junior starter Kyle Smith (St. Petersburg, Fla.), who tossed the first 6 1/3. The Pioneer hurlers combined for 11 K's including eight by Smith (2-0).
Senior Rolondo Bonner (Garner, N.C.) ripped a triple to right in the first and later scored on a single by reigning South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Player of the Week, sophomore Matt Henriksen (Hingham, Mass.), as Tusculum led throughout the game. Freshman Trey Drewery (Vale, N.C.) extended the Pioneers lead with a two-run single in the third and an error in the fifth led to TC's fourth run.
A booted ground ball off the bat of Crumpler allowed Barton's first run to score in the fifth.
Junior Ryan Daughtry (Princeton, N.C.) led the Bulldogs offensively with three consecutive hits including a double in the seventh. Willis added two singles as the outfield pair accounted for five of the Bulldogs seven base hits.
Senior starter Hunter Meekins (Manteo, N.C.) took the loss for Barton allowing three runs over the first 2 2/3. Meekins (0-4) led a quartet of Bulldog arms on the mound with three strikeouts.
A full recap of Tuesday's second game will be published after the final pitch.
