GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University softball team defended Red Edmonds Field successfully for a 16th time in 2025, sweeping UVA Wise on Friday (Mar. 14). Natalie Spaitis broke her own program record for single season saves with the fifth of her sophomore campaign, tying her for the career mark with Emily Sappington (9).
Tusculum (29-1, 8-0 SAC) will travel to nearby archrival Carson-Newman on Tuesday (Mar. 18) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
Game 1: #23 Tusculum 8, UVA Wise 4
Megan Ackerman (4) and Gabi Nicholson (3) combined for seven runs driven in as the Pioneers outlasted the Cavaliers in game one. Brooke Smith went 3-for-3 with three runs scored in the opener.
UVA Wise started out the day with a first-pitch inside the park home run.
TU responded with four runs on three extra base hits in the bottom half of the first. Smith drew a walk and stole second. With two outs, Sammy Jimenez and Nicholson drilled back-to-back doubles to score a pair. Ackerman cleared the bases to help her cause in the circle with a home run to right center on a full count.
The Pioneers tacked on in the third. Smith legged out a bunt single, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. She scored on a Nicholson single.
Tusculum blew the game open in the fifth. Smith and Ellie Alvarez singled in consecutive at bats to put runners at the corners. After a pitching change, Jimenez drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Smith came home on a Nicholson groundout, followed by an Ackerman double to score two.
The Cavaliers made things interesting in the seventh. Down 8-1, UVA Wise rallied with one out. After a leadoff double, a lineout on a diving catch by Danielle Jason in left advanced the runner to third. A single scored her, followed by a two-run homer. Ackerman struck out the ensuing batter and hit the next. Jason came up big on defense once again, laying out for another diving catch to end the ball game.
Ackerman (13-1) threw her eighth complete game of the season, allowing four runs on five hits with four strikeouts. She extended her streak to 39-straight innings without a walk, having not given up a free-pass since February 26.
Game 2: #23 Tusculum 6, UVA Wise 3
Jason went 4-for-4, Abby Hunter was 3-for-3, and Caylen Conrad scored three runs in the night cap, alongside Spaitis’ milestone outing.
Jason, Smith, and Alvarez started out game two with three-straight infield hits, as none went farther than the pitcher’s circle. Jimenez and Nicholson launched back-to-back sacrifice flies to hand TU a 2-0 advantage.
UVA Wise got a run back in the second. The Cavaliers loaded the bases with two outs as the run scored on a wild pitch.
The Pioneers extended the lead to 4-1 in the bottom half of the inning. Hunter tripled to right center after Conrad reached on a fielder’s choice. Hunter came home on a Jason single.
After a leadoff double in the third and a TU pitching change, UVA Wise belted a two-run homer that hit the scoreboard in left center.
Up by only a one run margin (4-3), Tusculum added an unearned run in the fourth inning but had a pair of runners thrown out at the plate. Alyssa Barbrick singled through the left side and made it all the way to third on a fielding error by the visitors. She was thrown out at home on a Conrad fielder’s choice. Hunter followed with a single and advanced on a throwing error by the Cavaliers. After a five minute on-field debate, Conrad was ruled as scoring on the play. Jason bunted for a single and Hunter went to third. Jason stole second, one of her three in the contest, ahead of Smith’s fielder’s choice to cut Hunter down at home.
Tusculum added another insurance run in the sixth. Conrad drew a one out walk, advancing to third on a Hunter single back up the middle. After a UVA Wise pitching change, Hunter stole second with Conrad scoring on a Jason single.
Nyah Vogel tossed the first two innings, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout. Dani Beckam (6-0) got the win after three innings of work with three hits, one run, one walk, and one strikeout. Spaitis (Sv, 5) pitched the final two frames, surrendering one hit with one strikeout. She needed just 14 pitches (12 strikes) to clinch the Pioneers’ 16th-straight victory.
