BRISTOL, Tenn. — Tusculum University softball split a non-conference series at King on Thursday (Mar. 19).
Tusculum (11-13, 1-3 SAC) returns to conference action on Saturday (Mar. 21) at UVA Wise. The doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 4, King 1
Chelsey Stonesifer reached double digit strikeouts for the second time this season, while Kylie Darrow drove in a pair as the Pioneers took the opener over the Tornado.
Ava Hallows led off the third with a double to left and advanced on a passed ball. Abby Hunter surprised the King defense with a bunt single, allowing Hallows to slide in safely.
Ellie Alvarez drew a leadoff walk in the fourth, with Katie Jones flexing in to run. Stonesifer laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Jones up to second. Taylor Hancock walked and Muriel Dillow legged out a bunt to load the bases with one out. Hallows knocked a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Jones to score. Darrow doubled down the left field line to drive in Hancock and Dillow.
King got on the board in the sixth with a RBI triple after a two-out single.
Stonesifer (9-4) tossed another complete game, allowing one run on four hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts.
Game 2: King 5, Tusculum 0
King’s Savana Luper pitched a no-hitter into the sixth to shut the Pioneers out for the first time this season.
The Tornado scored at least once in four of their six offensive innings. King scored an unearned run the second after the leadoff batter reached on an error. A leadoff double came around the score in the fourth, while a two-out RBI double scored the run in the fifth. In the sixth inning, a leadoff walk scored after consecutive hits, with the final run scoring on a failed pickoff attempt by TU.
The lone baserunners for the Pioneers until the sixth inning were an Alvarez walk in the first, a Hancock hit by pitch in the second, and an Izzy Wilson hit by pitch in the third. Ella Majchrzak and Alvarez broke up the no-hit bid in the sixth with back-to-back singles. Hancock provided the only other hit in the seventh.
Aleyia Satterfield (2-6) went 5.1 innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Dani Beckham faced the final three batters, relenting a hit with a pair of flyouts.
