SOFTBALL TAKES GAME ONE, SPLITS TWIN-BILL WITH MONTREAT

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Ashley Burke had three hits and Phlyscia Powell drove in four runs as the Tusculum College softball team split a doubleheader with Montreat College on Senior Day at Red Edmonds Field on Tuesday, defeating the Cavaliers 6-4 in game one before Montreat took the nightcap 5-3. The Pioneers are now 14-30 on the season while Montreat moves to 20-20.

Burke and Powell combined for three triples on the day, including two by Burke in game two. The freshman third baseman went 3-for-6 on the day with one run scored and one RBI, while Powell was 2-for-6 with a run scored. Senior Ashley Basilicato collected three hits in the twin-bill, including a 2-for-3 showing in game one.

Holli Cadenhead (9-16) made the start in game one for the Pioneers and went the distance, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and striking out four. Ali Hansen (2-9) got the nod in game two and pitched the first one and one-thirds innings before Cadenhead entered in relief. Cadenhead threw five and two-thirds frames of scoreless relief, allowing three hits and striking out eight Cavaliers.

Jamie Poling led the way for Montreat with three hits in five at-bats, scoring two runs and driving in another. Amy Vogel, Erin Cross, and Tiffany Davis each had two base knocks, as Cross drove in a team-high two runs on the day.

Meredith Mitchell started game one for Montreat and lasted six innings, striking out two and walking one. Rachel Stowe got the nod in the nightcap and picked up the win, allowing two earned runs on six hits in seven innings of work.

Game One: Tusculum 6, Montreat 4

The opener remained scoreless until the fourth inning, when Montreat pushed across the first run of the day on an RBI single by Olivia Huffman which scored Mandi Pike from second to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead. Montreat added a run in the fifth to extend the lead to 2-0, before the Pioneers pushed five runs across the plate on six hits in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 5-2 advantage.

Alex Kimbrell led off the fifth inning with a single back to the pitcher and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Rachel Hopper then came up to bat and laced an RBI single to left center, scoring Kimbrell from third and cutting the Cavalier lead to 2-1. Makenzie Loy followed with a single through the right side, pushing pinch-runner Brittany Hunley around to third for Basilicato. The senior shortstop was then hit by a 2-2 pitch to load the bases with two outs.

Powell then delivered the go-ahead hit with a bases-clearing triple to left center, pushing three runs across to give TC a 4-2 lead. Racheal Wilburn then drove in Powell from third with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 5-2 heading into the sixth. Tusculum added a run in the sixth on an error by the Cavaliers to take a 6-2 lead.
Montreat came to bat in the seventh and pushed two runs across the plate on a pair of RBI singles by Davis and Poling, before Cadenhead retired the final two batters of the inning on a foul out and a strike out to seal the win.

Game Two: Montreat 5, Tusculum 3

Montreat jumped out to an early lead in game two, scoring all five of its runs in the second inning on four hits and a TC error. The five-run frame was started by Cross' two-run home run to center field, and capped by a Vogel RBI single that pushed two more runs across the plate.

Tusculum trimmed the lead down to 5-2 with a run in each of the second and fourth innings, including Burke's RBI trip