GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University softball team tied their best-ever start in Greeneville (12-0) with a two-game sweep of Coker in South Atlantic Conference action on Tuesday (Mar. 4).
Tusculum (23-1, 2-0 SAC) stays home once again, hosting Anderson for Alumni Day on March 8. First pitch between the Pioneers and Trojans is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 12, Coker 2 (5 innings)
Sammy Jimenez was a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run and five runs batted in, while also scoring three times, throughout the first game. Megan Ackerman held the Cobras scoreless through 4.2 frames in the circle.
Tusculum scored three times in the first inning, using three hits and two Coker errors. With one out, Brooke Smith reached on a miscue, advancing to second on another error. Ellie Alvarez legged out an infield single to put runners on the corners. She stole second to put two in scoring position. Jimenez capitalized, driving in the duo with a single back up the middle. Gabi Nicholson was hit by the first pitch she faced, and Alyssa Barbrick loaded the bases with two outs on a single. Caylen Conrad drew a walk to advance everyone up 60 feet, scoring Jimenez.
The Pioneer offense kept rolling to plate six in the second, using six hits and two errors to do the damage. Danielle Jason singled to the shortstop and stole second. For the second-straight inning, Smith reached on an error as Jason scored. With Smith on second, Jimenez drove her in with another single up the middle. She advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Nicholson double. Katie Jones entered to run and scored on Ackerman’s single. Emma Golden came in to run for Ackerman at second. After a pitching change and a second out, Conrad drew her second walk in as many innings. Abby Hunter singled to left to score Golden as Conrad came home on an error by the outfielder.
TU tacked on two more in the third to lead 11-0. Alvarez led off with a single and a steal, driven in by Jimenez’s 24 career homer. The total elevates her to sole possession of third in the TU records.
Tusculum’s final run came in the fourth frame. With two outs, Smith was plunked and stole second. She scored on an Alvarez double.
Coker avoided the shutout with two runs in the fifth, all with two outs. The Cobras strung together three-straight hits, including back-to-back doubles to get on the board.
Ackerman (9-1) went the distance in the shortened game, tossing five innings of four-hit, two-run ball. The graduate student struck out three batters and needed just 61 pitches for the victory.
Game 2: Tusculum 7, Coker 6
Hunter drew the walk-off bases-loaded walk to clinch the sweep of Coker, which earned Ackerman her second victory of the day.
Tusculum scored first in game two. Smith doubled to left center and moved up to third on a wild pitch. Alvarez drove her in with a sacrifice fly to right.
For the first time on the day, TU was held scoreless in the second inning but came back for three runs in the third. Smith raced out a bunt single and stole second. Jimenez drew a two-out walk as the teammates advanced on a wild pitch. Nicholson doubled down the third base line to score the pair. Ella Majchrzak singled up the middle to plate Nicholson.
Coker scored three runs in the fourth. The Cobras notched a base hit on three-straight pitches with two outs as a part of a four-hit frame.
The Pioneers got a pair of runs back in the bottom half of the inning. Hunter doubled to left center as Jason hustled out a bunt single to put runners on the corners. Jason stole second as Hunter scored on a failed pickoff attempt by the catcher that went into the outfield. Alvarez scored Jason with a single through the left side.
Coker added one more run in the fifth. After a leadoff walk and single, an attempted sacrifice bunt turned into a fielder’s choice to get the lead runner at third. A TU error loaded the bases with one out. After a lineout, a runner scored on a single but the relay throw from Hunter in center to Jimenez at the plate cut down a second Cobra.
The visitors tied the game with a two-run double in the seventh.
Jimenez drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the bottom of the inning. Nicholson bunted for a single for two runners on with no outs. After back-to-back strikeouts, Kylie Darrow reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases on a miscommunication from the defense. Hunter worked a walk on five pitches to seal the sweep.
Nyah Vogel tossed the first inning, allowing one hit and one strikeout. Natalie Spaitis threw the next three frames, allowing six hits, four runs (three earned), one walk, and two strikeouts. Dani Beckham went 2.2 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits. Ackerman (10-1) needed just one pitch to pick up the win.
