MARS HILL, N.C. --- Tusculum College and Mars Hill College split a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Ponder Field, as the visiting Pioneers captured the opener 2-1 while the host Lions came back with an 8-0 five-inning victory in game two.
In the opener, Katy Stuckwish snapped a 0-0 tie with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning and Erin Searcy went the distance in the circle for the victory for the Pioneers. Game two saw Ashley Seawell finish 2-for-3 with a three-run double, a three-run home run and six runs batted in for the Lions.
The Pioneers (29-14, 10-6 SAC) wrap up regular-season conference play on Saturday at home against Newberry, while the Lions (28-17, 6-10 SAC) travel to Anderson.
Game 1: Tusculum 2, Mars Hill 1
(Box Score)
Stuckwish hit her first career home run with one out in the top of the sixth to break a scoreless tie, and the Pioneers escaped from jams in the sixth and seventh innings to capture the victory in the opener. Shanda Kimbrough walked to lead off the sixth against Mars Hill starter Tara West, and moved to second on a sacrifice by Ashley Burke. Stuckwish then connected for a two-run home run to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.
The Lions pulled within a run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Shaundee Woosley and had runners at the corners with one out, but Pioneer starter Erin Searcy worked out of the jam with a line out and a ground out. In the seventh, Mars Hill opened the frame with an infield single by Chelsea Varner, who advanced to second on a sacrifice.
Ashley McCurry then hit a grounder to Savannah Ewing at third, who threw out McCurry at first for the second out and received the return throw from Kimbrough to nail Varner attempting to advance for the final out.
The Pioneers finished with just four hits in the contest off West (9-4), who also issued four walks and struck out two. Kimbrough walked twice in three trips to the plate, while Stuckwish also reached on a walk in addition to her home run.
Searcy (13-10) scattered six hits and walked a pair in her 18th complete game in 22 starts. She worked out of a first-and-second, no-out jam in the fourth and stranded two Lions on base to end the fifth inning.
Game 2: Mars Hill 8, Tusculum 0 (5 innings)
(Box Score)
The Lions opened the scoring with a run in the first, added three more in the third and four in the fourth to earn the five-inning victory. Seawell hit a bases-loaded double in the third and followed with a three-run homer in the fourth, her sixth of the season, to lead the Lion attack. Amanda McArthur set the pace out of the leadoff spot in the lineup, reaching base on a single and two walks and scoring three runs.
Taylor Morris (14-6) threw just 58 pitches over five innings to earn credit for the victory for Mars Hill, allowing just a leadoff single to Taylor MacDonald in the first inning while striking out five and walking one.
Elizabeth Johnson (16-3) worked 2 1/3 innings for the Pioneers, giving up just one hit and one run while recording a pair of strikeouts, but was charged with the loss.
Mars Hill opened the scoring with a run off Johnson in the first on an RBI double by Natalie Haithcox. Seawell's three-run double off reliever Searcy in the third extended the Lion lead to 4-0, and an RBI single by McCurry preceded Seawell's three-run homer in the fourth.
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