Box Score by Kevin Buczek
GREENEVILLE, Tenn.-Freshman third baseman Andrew Webster collected three hits to highlight play for Barton College in a 7-3 Southeast Region loss to Tusculum College on Wednesday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
The Pioneers scored 26 runs over two days in completing the three-game sweep and improving to 11-8 overall. The Bulldogs lost for a fourth consecutive time in slipping to 5-13.
Barton had nearly as many hits as Tusculum, 9-8, but the Pioneers base knocks came in bunches. The Bulldogs eight hits were spread across six innings while seven of TC's nine hits came in its two scoring frames.
The Pioneers produced five consecutive hits in the bottom of the second to take a 3-0 advantage. Cody Andreychuk started the one-out rally with a single through the left side of the infield and then moved into scoring position on a double in the left field gap by Jalen Schuffler. Chris Waylock knocked Andreychuk and Schuffler home with his own double to left. Jeremiah Tullidge scored Waylock with a single to center and Vinny Ferrara kept the streak alive with a single to right before Barton junior Kyle Rufer took over on the mound and got the visitors out of jam with a pair of fly balls.
The Bulldogs pulled to within one run, 3-2, with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Junior Mitchell Wheeler led off with a single to left and Webster followed with BC's only extra-base hit, a double to left-center field. A senior Dillon Rudio groundout scored Wheeler from third for the Bulldogs first run. Junior Snooter Merryman followed with a sacrifice fly to center that tagged up Webster.
Barton threatened to tie up the score with a runner in scoring position in both the fifth and seventh but the Pioneers pitchers wiggled out of both situations.
Sophomore Ben Youngblood had a two-out single down the left field line and stolen single but Tusculum senior starter Scott Simmons ended the frame with a strikeout and became win eligible.
Sophomore Ben Williams and junior JT Bunce tallied two consecutive singles with one out in the seventh but Pioneers senior reliever Billy Sivyer then got an infield popup before recording a strikeout to end that danger for Tusculum.
Simmons (2-0) went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits for the win. Sivyer tossed the next four innings with six strikeouts to qualify for his first save.
Webster (3 for 4) and Wheeler (2 for 4) accounted for five of the Bulldogs eight safe hits.
The Royal Blue and White used five arms on the mound with junior starter Duncan Everett (0-3) taking the loss in just 1 1/3 innings of work. Rufer only allowed one hit in 2 2/3 innings and Merryman maintained his spotless ERA by hurling a 1-2-3 eighth.
Andreychuk led the Pioneers with three hits including a two-run single to highlight a big four-run seventh for the hosts.
Three of those runs were unearned making 15 of Tusculum's 26 runs scored in the series unearned.
Barton will begin Conference Carolinas play with a three-game set against North Greenville University. The Bulldogs will host the Crusaders for one game on Friday at 2:30 p.m., before concluding the series with a Noon doubleheader on Saturday. Saturday's twin bill will also be designated Make-A-Wish Day for Barton (read more).
