Davis throws one-hitter in Softball's sweep of King

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College softball team swept a doubleheader against visiting King University on Monday evening at Red Edmonds Field. TC used a 10-run fourth inning to help defeat the Tornado 13-2 in the first contest, while Eliza Davis pitched a one-hitter in Tusculum's 2-0 victory in the second game.

The Pioneers pushed their record over .500 at 11-9 overall, while the Tornado fall to 3-11 this season. Tusculum will return to South Atlantic Conference action on Wednesday when they play host to Lincoln Memorial University. First pitch in the twinbill is set for 2 p.m. at Edmonds Field.

Tusculum pushed across 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to defeat the visiting King University Tornado in the first game of the doubleheader.

Holding a 3-0 lead at the start of fourth inning, TC loaded the bases on two walks and a base knock off King starter Morgan Lowe (3-4). Lowe walked Kaytlin Stroinski with the bases loaded for the first run of the inning before Carolyn Williamson stepped up to the plate. Williamson drove in two runs on a single through the right side. During the play, Tornado catcher Hannah Smith tried to throw out Stroinski at third, but the ball sailed into left field allowing Stroinski and Williamson to score on the error.

After the first five runs of the frame, Cayla Cecil, Nicole Ball, and Alix Kruel all recorded RBI doubles. Stroinski and Treslyn Reese also drove-in runs with base knocks.

Tusculum starter Rachel Medley (4-5) earned the win after scattering five hits and just two earned runs with a strikeout in five innings of work. Lowe took the loss after allowing all 13 runs on 14 hits with five walks.

Williamson finished 4-for-4 at the plate, while Stroinski was 3-for-3. Cecil and Ball were both 2-for-3, while Rhodes drew two walks and had a hit.

TC pushed across an early run in the first after Stroinski led off the inning with a double, and later scored on an RBI groundout by Bailey Culler. The Pioneers stretched the advantage to 3-0 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Stroinski once again led off the inning with a base knock and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Jenna Restivo. Rhodes drove in the third run with a groundout that scored Williamson.

King put two runs on the board in the top of the fifth on RBI groundouts by Tori McComas and Stephanie Rodriguez. Diamond Callwood led the Tornado with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate while scoring a run.

Davis struck out four batters and took a perfect-game bid late into the sixth inning in the Pioneers' 2-0 victory over King that completed the doubleheader sweep.

Davis (6-3) sat down 17-straight Tornado Batters before Amber Palmer tripled to left field with two outs in the top of the sixth. Holding a 1-0 lead at the time, Davis induced a groundout by Rodriguez to end the only Tornado threat in the game. Lauren Smith (0-2) was dealt the loss despite only giving up just one earned run on seven hits.

Stroinski was 2-for-3 at the plate including a triple, while Cecil also had two base hits, one of them going for a double. Rhodes was also 2-for-3 from the dish.

TC struck first with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Cecil led off the frame with an infield single, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Restivo. Cecil came in to score on a fielding error by King third baseman McComas when a sharply hit ball by Rhodes went through her legs into left field.

The Pioneers added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Cecil had a leadoff double, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Lewis. Culler singled home Cecil in the next at bat with a hit to left field. Davis struck out Callwood and induced two Tornado flyouts in the top of the seventh to seal the Pioneer win.