Tusculum College came from behind twice to sweep a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader at Brevard College on Thursday afternoon. The Pioneers (18-18, 4-4 SAC) defeated the Tornados (12-19, 1-7 SAC) 4-1 in the opener and 4-3 in the nightcap for their first conference sweep of the season.

Tusculum will be home this weekend against Catawba in a SAC doubleheader. Check tusculumpioneers.com for the latest schedule changes caused by weather.

Game 1: Tusculum 4, Brevard 1
(Box Score)

Brooke Rhodes hit a tiebreaking three-run home run in the fifth inning and Kelly King allowed three hits and one unearned run for her 12th win of the season in the opener.

Tusculum trailed 1-0 before tying the game in the fourth on an RBI double by Alix Kruel, and grabbed the lead for good on Rhodes' first home run of the season with one out in the fifth inning.

King (12-8) struck out two and did not walk a batter to earn the win for the Pioneers. Brevard starter Jamie Hrobak (8-7) whiffed eight batters but allowed nine hits and four walks in taking the loss for the Tornados.

Rhodes finished 2-for-3 for the Pioneers, as did Courtney Hutcherson who had a pair of doubles and scored a run. Katie Brennan was 2-for-4 for the Pioneers in the opener, while Paige Sneed walked twice in three plate appearances.

Emily Boykin was the top hitter in game one for the Tornados, going 2-for-3 with an RBI double to account for the lone run off King. Her double with two outs in the bottom of the second drove home Ally Davenport with the first run of the game.

After leaving runners at first and second in the first, and on second and third in the second, the Pioneers broke through in the fourth against Hrobak. Rhodes led off with a single and Brennan followed with a single to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a popup, Kruel delivered her fifth extra-base hit in the last three games with a double to left, driving home Rhodes with the tying run.

The decisive rally for the Pioneers started on a one-out double in the fifth from Hutcherson. Nicole Ball followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and after a stolen base Rhodes drilled a Hrobak pitch over the fence in left for a 4-1 Pioneer lead.

Brevard threatened in the fifth as a pair of errors put runners on first and second with two outs, but King got out of trouble by inducing a groundout to keep the Tusculum advantage at 4-1. Boykin singled with two outs in the seventh for the final runner of the game for the Tornados, as King retired Brevard on a fly ball to Brennan in center for the final out.

Game 2: Tusculum 4, Brevard 3
(Box Score)

The Pioneers scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit, and Rachel Medley threw 6 2/3 innings of relief for the victory as the Pioneers earned the sweep despite picking up just four hits in the game.

A two-run single by Sneed capped the four-run outburst for the Pioneers, while Medley (4-4) scattered four hits and allowed one run after coming on for starter Eliza Davis with one out in the first inning. Miranda Beeler led the Pioneers at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.

Brevard starter Alyssa Miller (2-8) gave up four runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings, while going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Kinny Davis also finished 2-for-4 and knocked in both runs for the Tornados in the loss.

The Tornados jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first as Miller led off with a triple and scored on an infield single by Davis. An error allowed Davis to score their second run of the inning, but Medley came on with two outs and retired the side with a runner at third.

After being held hitless for three innings by Miller, the Pioneers opened the fourth as Beeler reached on a bunt single and Tavi Parris was safe on a throwing error on a bunt attempt. Beeler then scored on a wild pitch to cut the Brevard lead to 2-1, and an infield single by Ball allowed Parris to score and tie the game. With two outs, Sneed delivered a two-run single that drove home Rhodes and Ball and pushed the Pioneers in front 4-2.

The Tornados cut the margin to 4-3 in the fifth as Miller doubled with two outs and scored on a double by Davis, and challenged in the sixth with two runners on base with two outs. However, Medley induced a popup to escape the threat and retired the side in order in the seventh to finish off the sweep.