GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College closed out its South Atlantic Conference softball schedule with a doubleheader split against visiting Newberry College Sunday afternoon. The Wolves captured the opener 1-0 and the Pioneers came back for a 6-3 victory in the nightcap.
The Pioneers (30-15, 11-7 SAC) reached the 30-win mark for the first time since joining NCAA Division II in 1999 and registered the best SAC finish in program history, tying for fourth place with Wingate.
In game one, Shelley Jeffcoat pitched a six-hitter and the Wolves scored an unearned run in the third inning for the game's only run. The Pioneers came back in game two with three runs in the third inning to break a 2-2 tie, and Elizabeth Johnson improved to 16-4 with a complete-game performance in the win.
Tusculum closes its regular season Tuesday afternoon, hosting North Greenville in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. Newberry concluded its 2010 season with a 16-29 overall record and a 3-15 SAC mark.
Game 1: Newberry 1, Tusculum 0
(Box Score)
Jeffcoat (4-7) worked out of two-on, no-out jams in the third, fourth and sixth innings to preserve the victory for the Wolves. She struck out two and walked one in her first shutout of the season, throwing 107 pitches along the way.
Newberry scored the game's only run in the top of the third inning off Pioneer starter Erin Searcy. With two outs, Jessie Teague reached second on a throwing error, and scored on a single up the middle by Chelsie Hilbourn.
Tusculum mounted its first rally in the third on a leadoff double by Katie Brennan and a bunt single by Paige Sneed, but left the bases loaded. In the fourth, Shanda Kimbrough led off with a single and a throwing error on a bunt by Ashley Burke put two runners on, but they failed to advance.
In the sixth, Kimbrough and Burke led off the inning with back-to-back singles for the Pioneers, but three straight fly balls brought the rally to an end. Jeffcoat finished off the Pioneers in the seventh by setting down the side in order.
Hilbourn finished 2-for-3 with a stolen base to lead Newberry, while Kimbrough went 2-for-3 for Tusculum.
Searcy (13-11) was the hard-luck loser for the Pioneers, allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out four. Tusculum has been shut out in six of her 11 losses this season.
Game 2: Tusculum 6, Newberry 3
(Box Score)
The Pioneers mustered just five hits in the contest, but took advantage of seven walks by Wolves starter Felicia Taylor to pick up the victory. Johnson worked around eight Newberry hits, struck out one batter and issued two walks while throwing 117 pitches.
Newberry drew first blood in the top of the first as Teague led off with an infield single and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Casey Stevens with the bases loaded.
Tusculum came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, as Taylor MacDonald led off with a walk and Savannah Ewing followed with a bunt single. After a sacrifice, MacDonald scored on a grounder to short by Kimbrough to tie the game at 1-1, and Burke followed with a grounder to second to knock in Ewing for a 2-1 Pioneer lead.
Newberry tied the game 2-2 in the third as Taylor singled with one out and scored on a two-out double to deep left by Lindsay Cruz.
The Pioneers went ahead for good in the bottom of the third, scoring three times after the first two batters went out. Lindsey Umberger and Kimbrough drew back-to-back walks, and Burke doubled to left to drive in Umberger to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead. An infield single by Stuckwish chased home Kimbrough for a 4-2 Tusculum advantage, and the Pioneers scored their fifth run as Stuckwish allowed herself to be caught in a rundown on a steal attempt, enabling Burke to score before she was tagged out.
In the fifth, Newberry scored an unearned run on a two-out RBI single by Stevens, but Tusculum came back with a run in the bottom of the inning as Taylor walked three straight batters and Brennan followed with a fielder's choice grounder for an RBI.
The Wolves threatened in the seventh, putting runners at first and second with one out, but Johnson got a groundout and a foul out to close out the game.
No player for either team had more than one hit in the contest, but Kimbrough drew two walks and scored twice for the Pioneers and MacDonald, Burke and Stuckwish each had a hit and a walk.
Taylor (8-17) worked 4 1/3 innings for the Wolves, allowing four hits and six earned runs with two strikeouts and seven walks. Jeffcoat relieved in the fifth and gave up one hit and struck out one in the final 1 2/3 innings.
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