Tusculum College and 13th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University split a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader Friday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field. The Pioneers (30-22, 14-8 SAC) won the opener 2-0 behind the shutout pitching of Kelly King, while the Bears (38-11, 16-6 SAC) came back to take the nightcap 3-1 on a two-run home run from Sarah Kenley in the fifth inning.

Both the Bears and the Pioneers will begin preparation for the Food Lion SAC Tournament, which begins next Thursday at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. Pairings and game times will be announced following the conclusion of the regular season on Saturday.

Game 1: Tusculum 2, #13 Lenoir-Rhyne 0
(Box Score)

King (18-10) worked in and out of trouble all game long after being spotted a 2-0 lead in the first inning. She struck out five and did not walk a batter, and left eight Bears runners stranded on base.

Miranda Beeler went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored for the Pioneers, while Tavi Parris and Katie Brennan each went 2-for-3 with an RBI as Tusculum finished with 10 hits off Lenoir-Rhyne starter Maryann Hoskins (19-7).

The Pioneers collected their runs in the first inning off Hoskins thanks to four hits, including a pair of bunt singles. Carolyn Williamson led off the game with a single to left, and Beeler followed with a bunt single. Kaytlin Stroinski walked on four pitches to load the bases for Parris, who dropped a perfect bunt toward Hoskins and beat the play for an infield single and a quick 1-0 Pioneer lead. Brennan then followed with a single through the left side to knock in Beeler for a 2-0 Tusculum advantage.

Lenoir-Rhyne attempted to rally in the second, as a pair of singles and an error loaded the bases with one out. However, King got Ciera Cockerham to hit a grounder to Stroinski at short that she turned into a force out at the plate for the second out. She then retired Dakota Keller on another grounder to short to leave the bases loaded.

The Bears challenged again in the third as Sydney Landreth reached on an infield single and Kenley doubled to left with two outs, but King caught Ashley Oliver looking for the third out. Tusculum had two on with two outs in both the fourth and fifth innings, but Hoskins struck out the final batter both times to keep the Lenoir-Rhyne deficit at 2-0.

In the seventh, Lenoir-Rhyne had one last threat as Keller doubled with one out, but King got Jody Mizelle on a fly ball to deep right for the second out and retired Landreth on a fly ball to Williamson in left for the final out.

Seven different players had one hit apiece for the Bears, who saw King throw 114 pitches (78 strikeouts) on the way to her eighth shutout of the season and 15th in her two seasons at Tusculum. Hoskins threw 119 pitches in six innings for the Bears, finishing with nine strikeouts and two walks.

Game 2: #13 Lenoir-Rhyne 3, Tusculum 1
(Box Score)

Kenlel broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth with her third home run of the season, a two-run blast to left off King. The lead was more than enough support for Lenoir-Rhyne starter Brandi Hole, who allowed just two hits and struck out six to improve her record to 19-4.

King (18-11) allowed six hits and three runs in game two, all unearned. She had six strikeouts and again did not issue a base on balls, while needing 109 pitches (84 strikes) to make it through seven full innings.

Lenoir-Rhyne opened the scoring against King in the top of the first inning as Mizelle led off with a double and scored when Kenley's grounder up the middle was deflected by King and then misplayed for an error. The Bears looked to expand their lead in both the second and third innings, but left two runners on base in both innings.

After Hole retired the first nine Tusculum batters, the Pioneers broke through and scored the tying run in the fourth. Williamson led off with a single up the middle and took second on a groundout by Beeler. Stroinski then singled up the middle, and Williamson scored when the throw home went to the backstop.

In the fifth, Landreth reached on a fielding error with one out, and scored when Kenley lined a 1-2 pitch over the left-field fence for her third home run of the season and a 3-1 Lenoir-Rhyne lead. Hole took care of the rest for the Bears, retiring the final nine batters she faced over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Kenley was the lone player on either team with more than one hit in the game, as she finished 2-for-3 with a single and a home run. Tusculum had just three baserunners in the game, all in the fourth inning when the Pioneers scored their lone run.