SAVANNAH, Ga.--The Barry Buccaneers picked up their first win of the season with an 8-5 victory over the Tusculum Pioneers in the Armstrong Atlantic State Pirate Baseball Invitational at Pirate Field on Monday.
The Bucs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, keyed by an RBI double from
Andrew Frezza.
The teams traded runs in the second inning, but in the top of the fifth, the Pirate scored twice and chased starter Mike Tomoleoni to cut the lead to 4-3. The Bucs scored in the bottom of the inning to increase the lead to 5-3 when
Nick Corbeil ripped a single to score Frezza.
In the sixth inning, the Pioneers scored two runs off reliever
Ray Rhoads (1-0), despite not getting the ball out of the infield, to tie the game at 5-5.
The Pioneers returned the favor, however in the bottom of the sixth.
Orestes Gonzalez led off the inning with a ground ball to third baseman Skip Talarek, who backed up to boot the ball and allow Gonzalez to reach. He came around to score on a ground ball by
Jerry Thornton.
The key to the game came in the top of the eighth inning. The Pioneers loaded the bases off reliever
Brian Mastin with one out.
David Bernat came on to induce an inning-ending double play out of TC's Dustin Morrow to preserve a 6-5 lead for Barry.
In the bottom of the eighth, another Talarek error set the stage for a two-run double from
Alex Meneses, and Bernat set the Pioneers down in order in the ninth for his first save.
Rhoads, who tossed 2.1 innings in relief of Tomoleoni picked up the win. Brandon Dickson, who came on in relief of starter Keith Hammond, was tagged with the loss, despite not giving up an earned run. He tossed 3.1 one-hit innings, allowing three unearned runs. He walked two and struck out one.
The Bucs return to Feinbloom Field on Tuesday, Feb. 7, to host the Florida Tech Panthers in their first home game of the season.
Barry 8, Tusculum 5 (02/06/2006 at Savannah, Ga.)
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Tusculum............ 010 022 000 - 5 11 2 (1-1-1)
Barry............... 310 011 02X - 8 10 2 (1-3)
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Pitchers: Tusculum - Hammons; Dickson(5). Barry - Tomoleoni; Rhoads(5); Mastin(8); Bernat(8).
Win-Rhoads(1-0) Save-Bernat(1) Loss-Hammons(0-1) T-3:07 A-135