NEWBERRY, S.C. — Bryson Nuckols went 3-for-4 with two RBI, scored three runs and had two stolen bases as the Newberry Wolves defeated visiting Tusculum 9-5 Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference baseball action at the Smith Road Complex.
The Wolves (8-3, 2-1 SAC) win the rubber game and claim the weekend series 2-1 over the Pioneers (3-7, 1-2 SAC)
Newberry jumped out to a 3-0 lead and would never trail on the afternoon in a game which was delayed one hour due to weather.
The Wolves racked up 11 hits on the day as Wilson Wages and Campbell McCurry had two hits apiece, while Cooper Gentry scored three times.
Tusculum totaled 10 hits as Caleb Webster and Avery Collins had two hits each, while six other Pioneers accounted for a single.
Taking the 3-0 lead, Newberry took advantage of two Tusculum errors in the first two frames. In the bottom of the first, Nuckols led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third when Jesse Free reached on an infield error. Jonathan Velez would drive in the first run with his sacrifice fly to plate Nuckols.
In the second inning, Anthony Plotkin drew a one-out walk, moved to second on an error and McCurry drew a walk to load the bases. Chandler Mims hit into a fielder’s choice with McCurry being out at second. Mims beat the throw to first and on the play, both Plotkin and Gentry scored as Newberry led 3-0.
Tusculum answered with a run in the top of the third as Collins led off with a single. He would steal second, later moved to third on a single and scored on Ben Scartz‘s sacrifice fly. TU drew closer with another run in the fourth as Sawyer Pace singled and scored on Luis Reyes one-out single as the Pioneers trailed 3-2.
Newberry extended the lead in the bottom of the fourth scoring three times thanks to two-run single from Nuckols and a RBI groundout as the Wolves led 6-2. Newberry added another run in the sixth as Plotkin got aboard with a one-out single and later scored on McCurry’s double to left.
Tusculum got two runs back in the sixth thanks to a two-run single off the bat of Collins as Newberry led 8-4. Newberry scored a run in the seventh to take a 9-4 lead.
In the top of the ninth, the Pioneers recorded four straight, two-out singles from Webster, Scartz, Omar Carreras and Max Schmarder. Now trailing 9-5, TU had the tying run come to the plate in designated hitter Justin Millsaps. But reliever Blake Morrison would get a fly out to end the game.
Newberry relief pitcher Keillor Osbon picked up the victory to move to 1-0. Morrison pitched four strong innings as he allowed one run on five hits with zero walks and five strikeouts to secure his first save of the year.
The Pioneers return home next weekend when they host Seton Hill for a three-game, non-conference series. The series will begin on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
