GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Ashley Burke went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run, while Elizabeth Johnson tossed a three-hitter as fifth-seeded Tusculum defeated No. 6 seed Brevard 8-1 in an elimination game of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship at Red Edmonds Field.
The Pioneers (32-24) advance in the tournament and will face No. 4 seed Carson-Newman, on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Brevard has its season end with a 24-24 overall record.
Tusculum recorded 11 hits on the afternoon led by Ashley Bagley's 3-for-4 performance, while Burke and Lindsey Umberger finished with two hits each.
Johnson tossed seven innings, allowed three hits, one unearned run with a pair of walks to improve to 27-12 on the season.
Tusculum jumped out to a four-run lead in the first inning as the Pioneers used three hits, two walks and BC error, highlighted by RBI singles by Umberger and Bagley.
TC added another run in the second inning when Kaytlin Stroinski reached on a two-out single and scored on Burke's ninth double of the season and a 5-0 Pioneer lead.
Brevard plated its run in the bottom of the third when Brittany Fowler singled to left field and a TC error allowed Brittany Jones the unearned run.
TC added more runs in the fifth and another in the sixth. In the fifth, Katie Brennan tripled to left center, her sixth of the season. She would score on Umberger's double down the left field line. Bagley capped the scoring in the frame with a RBI single and a 7-1 advantage. TC made it 8-1 in the sixth on Burke's solo blast, her second home run of the tournament and third of the season.
Brevard starter Alyssa Miller (9-9) suffered the loss, pitching the first inning where she allowed three hits, four runs and a pair of walks. Kayla Clemens pitched the final six frames for the Tornados, allowing eight hits, four runs with three strikeouts.
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