GREENEVILLE, Tenn.--- Emily Hester doubled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to lift Tusculum College to a 3-2 win over Ursuline College Saturday night in the Pioneer Classic at Red Edmonds Field.
Hester drove in two of the three runs for the Pioneers (8-5), who led 1-0 and 2-1 only to see the Arrows (2-4) tie the game in the following inning each time. Carolyn Williamson went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Tusculum while Robin Stoner also had a pair of hits.
Pitcher Gina Rosshirt had both RBIs for the Arrows, coming on a double in the second and a single in the fourth. She went 2-for-3 at the plate and was the only player in the Ursuline lineup with more than one hit in the game.
The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Taylor Battle led off with a bunt single, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a single to right by Williamson. The Pioneers loaded the bases with one out, but Rosshirt retired the side on a pair of popups.
The Arrows tied the game in the second off Pioneer starter Cayla Cecil as Rosshirt drove home Mackenzie Lebeda with an unearned run on a double to left field, but the Pioneers went back on top 2-1 in the third. Jordan Keene singled with one out, went to second on an error, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Hester.
Ursuline came back with a run in the top of the fourth as pinch-runner Danielle Almodiel scored on a two-out single by Rosshirt.
Tusculum threatened in the fifth as Williamson and Stoner had singles, but Rosshirt got a ground out to end the rally. The Pioneers also looked for the go-ahead run in the sixth as Jenna Restivo had a pinch-hit single with one out, but Rosshirt would not allow the runner to reach scoring position.
In the seventh, Keene walked with two outs and Stoner was safe on an infield error. Hester then drilled a 2-1 pitch into the deep left-center field gap, allowing Keene to easily score the winning run.
Cecil worked the first four innings for the Pioneers, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with one strikeout and one walk. Eliza Davis (3-3) came on in the fifth and tossed three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.
Rosshirt (1-1) gave up three runs (one earned) on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Arrows, with two strikeouts and one walk.
Tusculum will conclude action at the Pioneer Classic on Sunday, hosting Goldey-Beacom at 9 a.m. and Shepherd at 5 p.m.
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