Tusculum College and Young Harris College split a non-conference softball doubleheader at Red Edmonds Field on Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers (10-10) won the opener 6-5 while the Mountain Lions (6-13) came back for a 12-4 win in the nightcap.

The Pioneers will return to action at home on Wednesday at 1 p.m. against Shorter University in a non-conference twinbill.

Game 1: Tusculum 6, Young Harris 5
(Box Score)

Kelly King (8-4) gave up five runs on eight hits in the first three innings, but settled in to retire 14 of the final 15 batters for her sixth consecutive win. She did not walk or strike out any batters and needed just 90 pitches to get through her 11th complete game in as many starts.

Miranda Beeler led the Pioneers at the plate in game one, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Kaytlin Stroinski had a two-run single in the first and Robin Stoner tripled home two runs to help the Pioneers rally from deficits of 2-0 and 5-2.

The Mountain Lions took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on three consecutive two-out hits, including a two-run double to deep center off the bat of Stacia Williams. The Pioneers came back in the bottom of the first against Young Harris starter Katie-Jo Gentry, as Carolyn Williamson was hit by a pitch and Beeler followed with a bunt single. After Tavi Parris moved up the runners with a bunt, Stroinski singled to right-center to drive home Williamson and Beeler and tied the game at 2-2.

Young Harris came back with two runs in the top of the third on an RBI groundout by Sydnee Weaver and a single by Sarah Magill, and tacked on another run in the third on an RBI groundout by Taylor Beauchamp.

Trailing 5-2, the Pioneers tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the third. Beeler reached on an infield single and moved to second on a bunt by Parris. After an out, Paige Sneed walked to put two runners on for Stoner, who lined a triple off the fence in left to cut the deficit to 5-4. Brooke Rhodes then followed with a single to right field that brought home Stoner and tied the game at 5-5.

Tusculum took the lead for good in the fourth off Young Harris reliever Lisa Wilson (0-1). Alix Kruel was hit by a pitch and advanced on a passed ball. After a walk to Williamson and an infield single by Beeler, Parris reached on a fielder's choice grounder to second that drove in Kruel with what proved to be the decisive run.

From there, King took control as she retired the Mountain Lions in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. A two-out error brought the go-ahead batter to the plate in the seventh, but King got Stooksbury to pop up to Stroinski at shortstop to end the game.

Brittany Henry was the lone player with more than one hit for Young Harris in game one, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Gentry worked three innings in a no-decision for the Mountain Lions, allowing five runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Game 2: Young Harris 12, Tusculum 4
(Box Score)

The Mountain Lions took advantage of three Pioneer errors to score six unearned runs and salvage the split of the doubleheader. Magill went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and three runs batted in and Beauchamp finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored as part of a 16-hit attack for Young Harris.

Tusculum finished with six hits in the game, including a two-run triple by Parris in the first and a solo home run from Stroinski in the third inning, her third home run in four games this weekend.

Young Harris took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a groundout by Stacia Williams, but the Pioneers came back with two in the bottom of the frame as Williamson and Beeler singled ahead of Parris' triple down the right-field line.

The Mountain Lions took control in the second with four unearned runs off Tusculum starter Rachel Medley, including a two-run double from Magill and an RBI single by Chandler Stooksbury. Young Harris added three more runs in the third on RBI doubles by Lyndsey York and Kimberly Strebe and a throwing error.

Trailing 8-2, the Pioneers got a run in the third when Stroinski belted her third home run of the season to deep left-center field off Mountain Lions starter Darby Stanford. The Pioneers would put two runners on with two outs, but reliever Brittany Henry came on and got a strikeout to end the threat.

In the fourth, Young Harris plated another run on a two-out RBI double by Lindsay Tudor, and added two more in the sixth on an RBI single by Beauchamp and a double steal that brought Henry across the plate for an 11-3 Young Harris lead.

The Pioneers were able to avoid the run-rule loss in the sixth as Stoner led off with a single and later scored on a passed ball. The Mountain Lions closed out the scoring in the top of the seventh on a solo home run by Magill, her second of the season.

Henry (3-3) allowed one hit and no earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of relief for Young Harris, striking out five and walking three. Stanford allowed five hits and three earned runs in 2 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts.

For the Pioneers, Medley (2-4) gave up eight hits and eight runs (two earned) in 2 2/3 innings, with Leah Powell tossing the final 4 1/3 and giving up four runs on eight hits.

Young Harris also received two-hit games from Sydnee Weaver, Stooksbury, Henry and Tudor, with Weaver, Henry, Magill and Beauchamp each scoring twice.