EMORY, Va. — The Tusculum University softball team fell in a pair of run-rule contests at Emory & Henry on Saturday (Apr. 12) afternoon.
Tusculum (34-12, 12-10 SAC) steps out of conference action to face North Greenville on Tuesday (Apr. 15) in Tigerville for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
Game 1: Emory & Henry 12, #24 Tusculum 1 (5 innings)
The Wasps belted five home runs in the opener to run-rule the Pioneers. Emory & Henry knocked in a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the third. The Pioneers got across an unearned run in the fourth. Ellie Alvarez reached on an error, advancing to second on a Sammy Jimenez single. Gabi Nicholson sent a single back up the middle to drive in Alvarez with two outs. The Wasps added on with another two-run shot in the fourth and a RBI single. They tacked on six runs in the fifth, capped off by a game-ending grand slam. Megan Ackerman (18-6) was tagged with the loss, going 3.2 innings while allowing six runs on 10 hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Natalie Spaitis pitched the final frame, surrendering six runs (one earned) on three hits with one walk.
Game 2: Emory & Henry 15, #24 Tusculum 4 (6 innings)
The Wasps hit another five home runs in the nightcap to collect the sweep over the ranked Pioneers. TU scored at least one run in the final three frames. Jimenez led off the fourth by reaching on an error. Abby Hunter hustled out an infield single. Jimenez advanced to third on a double play and was driven in by Ella Majchrzak. Brooke Smith and Alvarez singled in back-to-back at bats with one out in the fifth. The pair advanced 60 feet on a wild pitch. Jimenez and Hunter hit consecutive RBI singles. Majchrzak led off the sixth with a double to right center and was pinch-ran for with Riley Hope. Kylie Darrow doubled to left as Hope moved up to third. Danielle Jason grounded out but Hope was able to score. Emory & Henry scored in five of the six innings, including a home run in each frame. The Wasps once again ended the game with a run-rule via a grand slam. Dani Beckham (6-2) got the start, while Spaitis pitched another three innings and recorded the only strikeout by the TU pitching staff. Jason tossed the final two frames in her second career pitching appearance.
2025 Tusculum University Softball
#24 Tusculum at Emory & Henry (Game 1)
Apr 12, 2025 at Emory, Va. (Wasps Field)
Tusculum 1 (34-11,12-9 SAC) Emory & Henry 12 (30-17,11-10 SAC)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Danielle Jason lf.......... 3 0 1 0 M. Williams cf............. 4 2 2 0
Brooke Smith 2b............ 3 0 0 0 D. King rf................. 4 2 2 1
Ellie Alvarez ss........... 2 1 1 0 L. Taylor 1b............... 2 2 1 2
Sammy Jimenez c............ 2 0 1 0 T. Tofano 3b............... 4 1 2 5
Abby Hunter cf............. 2 0 0 0 H. Booth dp................ 3 0 1 0
Gabi Nicholson 3b.......... 2 0 1 1 R. Hill ss................. 3 1 1 1
Ella Majchrzak dp.......... 2 0 0 0 L. Johnson c............... 3 0 1 0
Caylen Conrad rf........... 1 0 0 0 K. Siekerka lf............. 3 1 2 0
Addison Hoffner ph........ 1 0 0 0 G. Harper pr.............. 0 1 0 0
Hailey Nichols 1b.......... 2 0 0 0 K. Simpson 2b.............. 3 2 1 2
Megan Ackerman p........... 0 0 0 0 D. Good p.................. 0 0 0 0
Natalie Spaitis p......... 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 20 1 4 1 Totals..................... 29 12 13 11
Score by Innings R H E
--------------------------------------
Tusculum............ 000 10 - 1 4 2
Emory & Henry....... 201 36 - 12 13 1
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Note: 2 outs, 0 runners LOB when the game ended.
E - E. Alvarez; G. Nicholson; R. Hill. LOB - Tusculum 4; Emory & Henr 5. 2B - M.
Williams; H. Booth. HR - D. King; L. Taylor; T. Tofano; R. Hill; K. Simpson. SB - D.
Jason.
Tusculum IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megan Ackerman L,18-6..... 3.2 10 6 6 1 6 0 0 0 0 21 22 4 1 71
Natalie Spaitis ........... 1.0 3 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 8 9 3 0 32
Emory & Henry IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Good W,9-4............. 5.0 4 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 20 20 4 5 73
PB - L. Johnson. Inherited runners/scored: N. Spaitis 2/0. Pitches/strikes: M. Ackerman
71/47; N. Spaitis 32/18; D. Good 73/46.
Strikeouts - S. Jimenez; A. Hunter; E. Majchrzak; C. Conrad; A. Hoffner; H. Nichols;
D. King; T. Tofano; H. Booth; R. Hill; L. Johnson; K. Simpson. Walks - L. Taylor 2.
Umpires -
Start: 1:00 PM Time: 1:35 Attendance: 147
Weather: 43 and cloudy
Game: TU45
2025 Tusculum University Softball
#24 Tusculum at Emory & Henry (Game 2)
Apr 12, 2025 at Emory, Va. (Wasps Field)
Tusculum 4 (34-12,12-10 SAC) Emory & Henry 15 (31-17,12-10 SAC)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Danielle Jason lf/p........ 4 0 1 1 M. Williams cf............. 3 1 0 0
Katie Jones lf............ 0 0 0 0 D. King rf................. 3 1 1 1
Brooke Smith 2b............ 4 1 2 0 G. Harper rf.............. 1 0 0 0
Ellie Alvarez ss........... 3 1 2 0 L. Taylor 1b............... 3 1 2 2
Sammy Jimenez c............ 3 1 1 1 E. Anderson pr............ 0 1 0 0
Abby Hunter cf............. 3 0 2 1 L. Johnson pr/1b.......... 1 2 1 0
Gabi Nicholson dp/3b....... 3 0 0 0 T. Tofano 3b............... 4 1 3 1
Ella Majchrzak 3b/rf....... 3 0 2 1 K. Cundiff pr............. 0 1 0 0
Riley Hope pr............. 0 1 0 0 H. Booth c................. 4 3 4 3
Caylen Conrad rf........... 0 0 0 0 R. Hill ss................. 2 2 1 3
Kylie Darrow ph/rf........ 3 0 2 0 M. Dowdy ph............... 1 0 0 0
Hailey Nichols 1b.......... 3 0 0 0 O. Yates dp................ 4 1 2 4
Dani Beckham p............. 0 0 0 0 K. Siekerka lf............. 3 1 3 1
Natalie Spaitis p......... 0 0 0 0 K. Simpson 2b.............. 3 0 0 0
M. Reeves p................ 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 29 4 12 4 Totals..................... 32 15 17 15
Score by Innings R H E
---------------------------------------
Tusculum............ 000 121 - 4 12 2
Emory & Henry....... 314 205 - 15 17 1
---------------------------------------
E - A. Hunter; G. Nicholson; R. Hill. DP - Emory & Henr 2. LOB - Tusculum 7; Emory &
Henr 4. 2B - E. Majchrzak; K. Darrow; L. Johnson; H. Booth. HR - L. Taylor; H.
Booth; R. Hill; O. Yates; K. Siekerka. HBP - R. Hill. SB - D. Jason; E. Alvarez; E.
Majchrzak.
Tusculum IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dani Beckham L,6-2........ 0.0 2 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 11
Natalie Spaitis ........... 3.0 8 5 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 17 17 7 1 39
Danielle Jason ............ 2.0 7 7 6 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 14 2 3 33
Emory & Henry IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M. Reeves W,19-11......... 6.0 12 4 3 0 6 1 0 0 0 29 29 3 7 88
WP - M. Reeves. HBP - by D. Jason (R. Hill). PB - S. Jimenez. Inherited runners/scored:
None. Pitches/strikes: D. Beckham 11/5; N. Spaitis 39/26; D. Jason 33/22; M. Reeves
88/58.
Strikeouts - E. Alvarez; S. Jimenez; G. Nicholson; E. Majchrzak; H. Nichols 2; O.
Yates. Walks - M. Williams.
Umpires -
Start: 3:00 PM Time: 1:51 Attendance: 156
D. Beckham faced 3 batters in the 1st.
D. Jason faced 5 batters in the 6th.
Game: TU46
