GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College and Lincoln Memorial University split a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader Tuesday afternoon, with the host Pioneers capturing an 8-0 win in five innings in the opener and the Railsplitters coming back for a 3-1 eight-inning win in game two at Red Edmonds Field.
In the opener, Erin Searcy threw a one-hitter and Taylor MacDonald went 3-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Pioneer attack. The Railsplitters captured the nightcap in eight innings when Brittany Stuive hit a two-run opposite-field homer to break a 1-1 tie.
The Pioneers (22-9, 3-1 SAC) head to the road Saturday for a SAC doubleheader at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Railsplitters (18-11, 1-3 SAC host Virginia Intermont Thursday in a non-league twinbill.
Game 1: Tusculum 8, Lincoln Memorial 0 (5 innings)
(Box Score)
Searcy allowed just two base runners in her fourth shutout of the season, both in the second inning when the Railsplitters' Sarah Walz led off with a double and Danae Reed followed with a one-out walk. She threw just 60 pitches and struck out four.
At the plate, the Pioneers jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first off LMU starter Cierra Mudd. MacDonald led off with a triple and scored on a double by Savannah Ewing. After a groundout, Ashley Burke hit a sacrifice fly to right to drive home Ewing with the seoond run of the inning.
Tusculum added a run in the fourth when Katie Brennan doubled to left to drive home Katy Stuckwish and give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead.
The Pioneers put the game away in the fifth with five runs. Consecutive singles by Brooklyn Cress, MacDonald and Ewing loaded the bases with no outs. Cress scord on a wild pitch to give the Pioneers a 4-0 lead, and Shanda Kimbrough followed with a two-run double for a 6-0 Tusculum advantage. A fielder's choice plated Burke with the seventh run, and a dropped fly ball in right-center allowed Kimbrough to score the game-ending tally.
Ewing and Kimbrough each went 2-for-3 with a double for the Pioneers as four of Tusculum's nine hits went for extra bases.
Mudd (8-6) worked 4 1/3 innings for the Railsplitters, giving up seven earned runs with a walk and two strikeouts.
Game 2: Lincoln Memorial 3, Tusculum 1 (8 innings)
(Box Score)
With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the eighth and a runner on third, Stuive launched a fly ball to right that hit the top of the fence and bounced over for her second home run of the season.
The Railsplitters snapped a seven-game losing streak with the victory and brought the Pioneers' 11-game home win streak to an end. Tusculum also saw a streak of 16 straight victories against unranked opponents come to an end with the loss.
Katie-Jo Gentry (4-4) went all eight innings to earn the win for LMU, scattering nine hits and striking out seven. Searcy (10-7) suffered the loss in relief of starter Elizabeth Johnson, who worked five innings and gave up a run on two hits while fanning a pair.
The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as MacDonald led off with a single and moved around to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ewing. After a popup, Burke singled up the middle to drive home MacDonald with the game's first run.
LMU tied the game in the fifth as Walz walked and came home on a two-out single to center by Bridget Eicher. A line-drive double play started by Ewing at third helped the Pioneers avoid further damage. In the sixth, the Railsplitters put runners on first and second with two outs, but Searcy induced an infield popup to end the threat.
The Pioneers nearly won the game in the bottom of the seventh, as Stuckwish and MacDonald picked up back-to-back hits with one out. However, Gentry retired the next two batters on fly balls to right to send the game to extra innings.
Burke led the way on offense for the Pioneers in game two, finishing 3-for-4 with three singles. MacDonald had another strong showing at the top of the lineup, going 2-for-4 with a run scored while flawlessly handling eight chances at second base.
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