GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Shanda Kimbrough launched a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning of game one, and Phlyscia Powell stroked a game-ending RBI triple in the night cap to lead the Tusculum College softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Catawba College in South Atlantic Conference play on Saturday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field.
The sweep moves Tusculum (14-16, 5-7 SAC) into a three-way tie for sixth in the conference standings with Catawba (28-17, 5-7 SAC) and Brevard College (17-20, 5-7 SAC). Tusculum and Catawba each tallied 17 hits in the twin-bill, as the Catawba Indians outhit the Pioneers 14-8 in game one before TC edged Catawba in base knocks by a 9-3 margin in the night cap.
Sophomore Savannah Ewing went 3-for-5 for Tusculum in the doubleheader, stroking two doubles and drawing three walks to go with three runs scored. Powell and Racheal Wilburn each tallied three hits as Taylor MacDonald tied Ewing for the team-lead with three runs scored. Kimbrough paced Tusculum with five RBI as nine Pioneers drove in at least one run.
Erin Searcy (6-7) picked up both wins for the Pioneers on the day, pitching one and one-third innings of scoreless relief split between the two games, allowing two hits. Holli Cadenhead made the start in game one for Tusculum, allowing five earned runs on 13 hits in eight innings of work to go along with five strikeouts. Elizabeth Johnson got the nod for the Pioneers in game two, allowing three unearned runs on two hits in six and two-thirds innings.
Callie Gordy and Carly Sabat each tallied three hits for Catawba to lead a group of seven Catawba Indians with multi-hit days. Tara Gibbs paced Catawba with four RBIs, including a home run, as four Catabwa Indians drove in at least one run.
Kelsie Hudson made the start for Catawba in game one, allowing three unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning before Chelsea Claypole (1-6) entered in relief. Claypole pitched the final seven and one-third innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits while walking four and striking out five. Samantha Santoli (2-5) got the nod in game two, allowing four runs and striking out six in six innings of work.
Game One: Tusculum 10, Catawba 9 (9 innings) - (Box Score)
Tusculum opened an early 3-0 lead in game one, pushing across three runs in the first without the benefit of a hit, including two bases-loaded walks. Catawba answered with three runs in the third to knot the score at 3-3, tying the game on an RBI single by Kathryn Geouge and a two-run double by Brittany Thornburg.
The Pioneers reclaimed the lead with a run in the bottom of the inning, taking a 4-3 advantage on an RBI single by Tasha Morrell. Catawba then answered with two runs in the fourth to jump back in front, taking a 5-4 lead on a TC error and an RBI single by Gibbs. Tusculum would counter with a run in the bottom of the frame to knot the score at 5-5, sending the game into extra innings.
Catawba struck first in extra innings, taking a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth on a Pioneer error. Tusculum countered with a run in the bottom of the inning to send the game to the ninth, knotting the score at 6-6 on a sacrifice fly by Katy Stuckwish.
The Catawba Indians struck again in the top of the ninth, taking a 9-6 lead when Gibbs launched a three-run home run to left center. Searcy then entered in relief, allowing just one hit and recording three outs to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.
Tusculum fought back in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases on a walk and a single with Kimbrough coming to bat. The 5-11 junior battled through a seven-pitch at-bat, working the count full before launching a 3-2 pitch down the left field line and bouncing it off the foul pole for a walk-off grand slam. The grand salami was the first of Kimbrough's career and the junior's second career walk-off home run.
Game Two: Tusculum 4, Catawba 3 - (Box Score)
Tusculum opened the scoring in the first for the second time on the afternoon, pushing across two runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead on an RBI groundout by Powell and a run-scoring single by Kimbrough. The Pioneers would stretch the lead to 3-0 when Ewing and Brittany Hunley stroked back-to-back doubles, with Hunley's two-bagger scoring Ewing from second.
Catawba rallied to tie the game in the seventh, scoring three runs with two outs after a Pioneer error allowed pinch-runner Casey Baucom to score and cut the margin to 3-1. Geouge then completed the rally with a two-run single to left, scoring Gordy and Amanda Terry to knot the game at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Pioneers would ignite more late-inning magic in the bottom of the frame, when MacDonald was hit by a pitch to open the stanza with Powell coming to the plate. Powell answered the call, ripping a 2-2 pitch into the gap in right center for her team-leading third triple of the season, scoring MacDonald from first to notch the Pioneers' second walk-off win of the day.
Tusculum returns to the diamond on Sunday when the Pioneers host Columbus State University in a non-conference doubleheader at Red Edmonds Field. First-pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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