GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University softball team beat Carson-Newman in game one to extend its winning streak to eight before dropping game two of the series on Wednesday (Apr. 10).
Tusculum (23-18, 13-7 SAC) continues its homestand on Friday (Apr. 12) with Belmont Abbey. First pitch between the Pioneers and Crusaders is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 6, Carson-Newman 4
Emily Sappington won her fourth-straight start as the Pioneers ran their win streak up to eight. Brooke Smith went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two driven in, alongside a hit by pitch and sacrifice bunt.
Tusculum drew first blood in the rivalry series after maintaining a scoreless draw through the top half of the opening frame. The Pioneer defense and Ellie Alvarez smartly used consecutive fielder’s choice plays to throw out the runner advancing to third, squandering the Eagles’ chances. In the bottom of the inning, Danielle Jason tripled on a full count, scoring on Smith’s squeeze bunt.
Carson-Newman tied the contest in the third with a sacrifice fly.
The Eagles took the lead with three runs in the fourth, using a bases-clearing double.
Tusculum uses a rally of its own to re-tie the game at 4-all in the bottom of the fourth. Sappington drew a leadoff walk and Kylie Darrow came in to pinch run. Alyssa Barbrick attempted a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error by the C-N catcher allowed both her and Darrow to stand safely in scoring position. With one out, Jason laid down a bunt, advancing both runners as Darrow stepped on home plate. Claire Smeltzer reached on a fielding error, allowing Smith to score easily from third.
TU took the lead for good in the fifth. Alvarez took a 3-2 pitch over the 225′ sign in dead center field.
The Pioneers added an insurance run in the sixth. Smith and Smeltzer started off the inning with consecutive singles, advancing 60 feet on a Sammy Jimenez sacrifice bunt. Smith was able to score on a wild pitch.
Sappington (9-5) tossed her 11th complete game of the season, allowing four runs on eight hits. She scattered four walks and eight strikeouts across her 131 pitches.
Game 2: Carson-Newman 8, Tusculum 1
The Eagles used three home runs and a shutdown pitching effort by Emma Frost to salvage a split at Red Edmonds Field. Jason tallied two of the four Pioneer hits, Jimenez walked twice, and Makayla Bush drove in the lone run.
Carson-Newman had its leadoff batter reach in the first four innings, highlighted by a solo homer in the second.
The biggest blow to TU came in the third as the Eagles belted back-to-back home runs to score four.
C-N added three more runs in the seventh with a pair of RBI doubles.
Tusculum did not have a runner reach third until the seventh. Alvarez notched her first collegiate triple with one out in the frame. Bush pinch hit, knocking a ball to right field for a sacrifice fly, the first of her career.
Ireland Cavanaugh (8-9) took the loss, going 2.1 innings and allowing five runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Natalie Spaitis went the final 4.2 frames, relenting three runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
