GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University softball team started the day with an upset of No. 18 and South Atlantic Conference leader Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday (Apr. 11) to kick off Alumni Weekend.
Tusculum (17-23, 5-13 SAC) steps out of conference play to host Emmanuel on Sunday (Apr. 12) in a continuation of Alumni Weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 5, #t18 Lenoir-Rhyne 4
The Pioneer underclassmen came in clutch in the upset of the Bears. Freshman Muriel Dillow went 3-for-3, freshman Andrea Davis was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and sophomore Addison Hoffner hit her third homer of the year.
Tusculum got out to a 5-0 lead with a run in the second and four in the third.
Davis legged out a bunt single and moved over to second on a Hoffner groundout. Dillow singled back up the middle to plate her teammate.
Ellie Alvarez and Ella Majchrzak drew back-to-back walks to lead off the third. After consecutive outs, Davis singled to right center to score Alvarez with Majchrzak scoring after a fielding error. The next batter was Hoffner who belted a two-run shot down the left field line.
LR’s comeback attempt started in the fourth. The Bears earned three-straight walks to load the bases with one out. Chelsey Stonesifer got the second out on a strikeout, but the next batter drove in two runs on a single.
The Bears’ led off the fifth with a solo homer and scored once in the sixth on two hits. Stonesifer locked down the visitors to seal the upset
Stonesifer (15-6) tossed her 14th complete game of the season, allowing just four runs on four hits with six walks and seven strikeouts on 130 pitches. The Bears grounded out just once, while flying out 12 times.
Game 2: #t18 Lenoir-Rhyne 12, Tusculum 9
The Bears scored seven unearned runs to salvage a split at Red Edmonds Field. For the Pioneers, Ava Hallows went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while both Alvarez and Majchrzak scored twice.
LR struck first in game two, using three singles to plate a run.
Tusculum fired back with four runs in the bottom half of the frame. Alvarez singled ahead of Majchrzak’s double to put two in scoring position. Davis reached on a bunt to load the bases for Taylor Hancock. Alvarez scored on the play, with Majchrzak coming in on a throwing error. Hallows doubled in Davis and Hancock.
Lenoir-Rhyne returned the favor in the top of the second, aided by a pair of TU errors. The Bears scored on a groundout, sacrifice fly, and a two RBI double.
The Pioneers tied the game at 5-all in the second. Abby Hunter singled to lead off the frame and was bunted over by Alvarez. Davis drove the second pitch of her at bat to left center for a double, bringing home Hunter.
LR tacked on another four in the third. The Bears used four singles and a double as the inning was kept alive by Tusculum’s final error.
In the fourth, Lenoir-Rhyne kept the bats hot, taking advantage of four hits to score two to lead 11-5.
Tusculum had the roles reversed as LR was credited with a pair of errors in the bottom of the fourth. Lily Kate Cariaco singled to left as Alvarez and Majchrzak drew consecutive walks for the second time in the doubleheader to load the bases. Davis reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Cariaco, but everyone was safe due to a fielding error. With two outs, Hallows had an infield single that scored two teammates, aided by a throwing error.
Both teams’ final run came in the fifth. LR belted a two-out solo homer by the pitcher Faith Carrigan. Abby Cruz had a pinch-hit single and moved over to second on a throwing error. Katie Jones re-entered and advanced to third on Kylie Darrow‘s pinch-hit single. Jones scored on a Hunter fielder’s choice.
Both pitchers went into lockdown over the final two frames. Tusculum had a spark in the seventh with back-to-back singles, but three-straight outs spoiled another upset bid.
TU used three pitchers in the contest. Dani Beckham tossed three frames, allowing six runs (two earned) on five hits with two strikeouts. Aleyia Satterfield (2-11) went for two innings and relented six runs (three earned) on 10 hits. Stonesifer returned for the nightcap, throwing the final two innings, allowing no hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University softball pitcher Dani Beckham threw the first complete game shutout of her career as the Pioneers run-ruled Emmanuel in both games on Sunday (Apr. 12).
Tusculum (19-23) stays out of conference action to take a trip to Lee on Tuesday (Apr. 14), with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 15, Emmanuel 1 (5 innings)
Tusculum erupted for eight runs in the second inning to spark the Pioneers to a 15-1 win over Emmanuel in five innings.
TU amassed a dozen hits including a 3-for-4 performance by Ella Majchrzak, while Abby Hunter added a double and a triple to go with her four RBI and two stolen bases. Tusculum also got multiple-hit efforts by pitcher Chelsey Stonesifer and first baseman Ava Hallows.
Stonesifer (16-6) was brilliant in the circle once again as she went the distance, allowing one run on three hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
Tusculum plated a pair of runs in the first inning to get things started. Hunter led off with a walk, moved to second on a ground out, stole third while scoring on an error on the play for a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Andrea Davis reached on an infield hit and Stonesifer helped her own cause when she doubled to center to make it a 2-0 contest.
In the top of the second, the Lions battled when Carson Stowe led off with a walk and Kaylee Purvis and Shelby Rinefierd followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Stonesifer got a line out for the second out of the inning, but Dezarea Hillery drew a five-pitch walk to bring home EU’s lone run of the game.
In the bottom of the second, Tusculum sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on five hits including a bases-loaded triple by Hunter to give TU a 5-2 lead. Hunter would later steal home and Majchrzak followed with a RBI single. The Pioneers loaded the bases again as Addison Hoffner and Katie Jones drew consecutive walks to make it a 9-1 game. Muriel Dillow would cap the scoring with her sacrifice fly as the Pioneers led 10-1.
Tusculum tacked on another run in the third frame on Hallows’ two-out, RBI single. In the fourth, Hunter and Majchrzak each had RBI doubles, while Ellie Alvarez and Kyle Darrow each tallied a sacrifice fly to cap the TU scoring.
Stonesifer wrapped up the game retiring the Lions in order in the fifth including a pair of strikeouts. It was her 16th win of the season, which ties her for 10th-most by a Pioneer.
Tusculum tied a program single-game record with three sacrifice flies in the contest.
Game 2: Tusculum 12, Emmanuel 0 (5 innings)
Dani Beckham pitched the game of her career, tossing a four-hit shutout, the first of her collegiate career. The Pioneer offense backed her up with 12 runs, including seven in the fourth, for the second run-rule of the afternoon.
Hallows led off the second with a single as Jones cued up a single back up the middle. Izzy Wilson reached on a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners with two outs. Dillow drove in Hallows as Wilson darted to third. Wilson caught the defense unaware after a toss back to the pitcher and raced home on a steal.
Majchrzak, Alvarez, and Hallows hit three-straight singles with one out in the third to load the bases. Taylor Hancock was hit by a 3-1 pitch to bring Majchrzak home. Jones singled through the left side to drive in two more runs.
Tusculum plated seven runs in the fourth inning on five hits and four walks. Hunter and Abby Cruz kicked off the frame with back-to-back walks ahead of consecutive singles by Alvarez and Hallows to score twice. Hancock sped for her first collegiate triple to clear the basepath, scoring on a Jones groundout. Wilson, Darrow, and Hunter reloaded the bases on a hit and two walks. Cruz singled to right as Wilson and Darrow came around to score.
Beckham (1-4) picked up her first win of the season, allowing just four hits with three strikeouts on 75 pitches.
