Strong pitching lifted Tusculum College to a sweep of its non-conference softball doubleheader at King University Thursday afternoon. The Pioneers won the opener 4-1 and took game two by a 5-1 score to level their record at 14-14 this season, while the Tornado fell to 12-17 with the losses.

The Pioneers will open defense of their 2013 South Atlantic Conference championship Saturday afternoon when they travel to Wingate to face the Bulldogs.

Game 1: Tusculum 5, King 1
(Box Score)

Kelly King (10-6) struck out eight for the second straight start and scattered three hits, while the Pioneers' offense scored twice in the first and seventh innings to provide more than enough support.

Tavi Parris went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs batted in while Kaytlin Stroinski was 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored to go along with an RBI. Carolyn Williamson also had a pair of hits and scored two runs out of the leadoff spot for the Pioneers.

Tusculum jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against King starter Hannah Light. Williamson was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error on a bunt by Miranda Beeler. Beeler then stole third and scored on a squeeze bunt by Parris to give the Pioneers the early 2-0 advantage.

King retired the first seven hitters before allowing a one-out single in the third, then set the Tornado down in turn in the fourth before working around a two-out single in the fifth. The Pioneers provided an insurance run in the sixth as Stroinski doubled with one out, moved to third on a single by Parris and scored on a single by Courtney Hutcherson.

The Tornado got on the scoreboard in the sixth on a solo home run by Octavia Lewis-Rand, but the Pioneers added more insurance in the seventh as Nicole Ball led off with a single and Williamson and Beeler added one-out infield singles to load the bases. Stroinski followed with a single to give the Pioneers a 4-1 lead, and Parris added a sacrifice fly for a 5-1 advantage.

Light (11-9) allowed five runs (three earned) and struck out nine in a complete-game performance for the Tornado.

Game 2: Tusculum 4, King 1
(Box Score)

The Pioneers took advantage of an error to score four unearned runs in the fourth inning, and Eliza Davis teamed with Rachel Medley to hold the Tornado to six hits to finish off the sweep.

Ball went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Pioneers, while Paige Sneed hit a two-run home run to cap Tusculum's four-run outburst in the fourth. Davis (2-4) scattered four hits in four scoreless innings and Medley tossed the last three innings for her first save of the year.

Light (11-10) started game two for the Tornado and gave up all four runs on four hits in five innings of work. Cassie Ringstaff led King at the plate by going 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

After three scoreless innings, the Pioneers broke through in the fourth as Stroinski struck out and reached first on a wild pitch to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice bunt from Parris, Hutcherson reached on a dropped fly ball to put runners at second and third with one out. Ball drove in Stroinski with a groundout to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead, and Hutcherson later scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. After a walk to Brooke Rhodes, Sneed hit a full-count pitch for her second homer of the season and a 4-0 Tusculum lead.

King scored its run in the bottom of the sixth off Medley as Ringstaff led off with a single and scored on a double by Fallon Thomas. However, Medley retired the final six hitters to deliver the victory to the Pioneers.