JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Elizabeth Johnson threw a six-hit shutout in game two to help Tusculum College earn a 1-0 win and split with Carson-Newman College in their South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader Thursday afternoon.
The Eagles captured game one 2-0 behind a four-hitter from Mary Shealy, while the Pioneers salvaged the split thanks to the pitching of Johnson and a tiebreaking RBI single from Shanda Kimbrough in the top of the sixth inning.
Carson-Newman entered the day ranked eighth in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings, while Tusculum was ranked ninth in the regional survey.
Tusculum (27-12, 8-4 SAC) returns to action Saturday with a doubleheader at Catawba beginning at 1 p.m., while Carson-Newman (31-12-1, 9-3 SAC) hosts Newberry in a twinbill Saturday at 1 p.m.
Game 1: Carson-Newman 2, Tusculum 0
(Box Score)
Shealy picked up her Division II-leading 28th victory by striking out four and allowing four singles to the Pioneers. The Eagles scored single runs in the first and fifth innings to provide Shealy with the support she needed.
C-N scored in the bottom of the first off Tusculum starter Erin Searcy, as Dariayn wright was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a fielder's choice and scored on a two-out RBI single by Whitney Kee.
The Pioneers threatened in the second as they put runners on second and third with two outs, but Shealy escaped the jam. The Eagles added an insurance run in the fifth when Amber Hewitt hit a two-out solo home run for a 2-0 lead.
In the seventh, Tusculum mounted a last-ditch rally against Shealy. Katy Stuckwish led off by reaching first base on a wild pitch after striking out and Katie Brennan followed with a walk. A passed ball moved the tying runs into scoring position, but Shealy got a strikeout, a comebacker and a fly ball to finish off the win.
Brennan finished 2-for-2 with a walk to lead the Pioneer offense, while Bri Shoemake was 2-for-3 for the Eagles. Searcy (12-9) gave up six hits and two earned runs over six innings of work for Tusculum, striking out seven and issuing no walks.
Game 2: Tusculum 1, Carson-Newman 0
(Box Score)
The Pioneers scored the only run of the game in the top of the sixth inning when Savannah Ewing led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice, took third on an error and scored on a single by Kimbrough.
Johnson (14-3) threw her fifth shutout of the season for the Pioneers, scattering six hits and striking out three. Shealy (28-10) allowed just four hits but walked three and struck out four in the loss for the Eagles.
Tusculum threatened in the top of the fourth, putting runners at first and second with no outs, but Shealy pitched out of trouble by getting a strikeout and two infield grounders.
Carson-Newman nearly took the lead in the bottom of the inning, but Stuckwish threw out Kim Whaley as she tried to score from second on a single by Sara Kelley for the final out of the frame.
In the fifth, the Pioneers advanced a runner to third base with one out, but failed to score when she was ruled to have left early on a fly ball to right by Taylor MacDonald.
After the Pioneers took a 1-0 lead, the Eagles put the leadoff batter on in both the sixth and seventh innings but Johnson allowed no further advance in either inning.
Lindsey Umberger accounted for half of the Pioneers' four hits in game two as she went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice. Whaley was 2-for-3 for the Eagles, including a double.
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