GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - After suffering a heartbreaking 8-7 setback in extra innings in the opening game of the day, Anderson University baseball fell 9-2 in the nightcap to Tusculum, as the Pioneers swept the Trojans in the three-game set on Saturday in South Atlantic Conference action at Pioneer Park.

With the back-to-back setbacks, AU falls to 15-17 on the season with a 9-12 record in the SAC, while TC claims its fourth conference sweep this season and improves to 19-10 overall with a 13-5 mark in league play.

In the first game, the Black and Gold out-hit the home side, 18-10, but left 13 runners on base in their first loss in extra innings this season. Junior first baseman Steven Cooper paced the club with a 5-for-6 performance with two runs scored and two RBI. The five hits are the most by a Trojan for a game this season, as the left-hander smashed a lead-off home run in the fourth inning for his fifth homer of the season to headline his day at the plate.

Following the first baseman was the bottom of the Trojan lineup of outfielders Stephen McKnight and Nick Bernardo and second baseman Xavier Peralta with three hits apiece. Bernardo matched Cooper's RBI total with two, as he knocked a two-run double in the sixth that propelled AU to a four-run inning.

McKnight scored twice, while Peralta drove in a run and tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth with a run-scoring single through the left side. For Peralta, the three-hit contest was the most hits in a game for his collegiate career.

After the teams played two scoreless frames in extra innings, the Trojans were blanked in the top of the 12th despite getting back-to-back singles from McKnight and Nick Bernardo to lead-off the inning. With AU coming up empty in the top-half of the inning, Tusculum took advantage when outfielder Jeremiah Tullidge singled through the right side and scored Jeovanny Tolentino for the walk-off run and the series win.

In the final game of the day, the Pioneers found the scoreboard early and often with five runs through the first three innings. The home side used the early runs to propel themselves to a 9-2 victory to seal the conference sweep.

Anderson's lone bright spot in its offense for the final game came from the final spot in the lineup, as Peralta recorded another multi-hit game with two singles. Senior shortstop Brett Cash posted the Trojans' only extra-base hit for the night cap with a second-inning double. Designated hitter Shawn Delmontagne and Nick Bernardo each notched a single RBI for the game, after driving in both AU runs in the fourth inning on a pair of fielder's choices.

The Black and Gold jumps back into nonconference action on Wednesday when it welcomes Erskine to Anderson Memorial Stadium for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. The opening matchup of the twin bill will represent the final half-point for baseball towards the Beville Cup standings.

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score