GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College softball team dropped a pair of games to Queens University of Charlotte in a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader Friday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field. The Royals (15-16, 4-2 SAC) won the opener 4-3 and picked up a 5-0 victory in the nightcap.

The Pioneers (15-17, 1-3 SAC) will return to action Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at home against Lenoir-Rhyne in a makeup of a SAC doubleheader that was postponed due to weather last week.

Game 1: Queens 4, Tusculum 3 - box score
The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a pinch-hit RBI single by Jordan Keene, but the Royals scored twice in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Tusculum came back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Queens reliever Evie Scott worked out of trouble in both the fifth and sixth to earn the save for starter Lyndey McCurry (7-6).

After Tusculum starter Eliza Davis kept Queens off the scoreboard for the first three innings, the Pioneers broke through for a run in the bottom of the third. With one out, Rachel Wisner doubled to deep right-center and scored on Keene's two-out pinch-hit single through the right side.

The Royals answered with two runs in the fourth on an RBI double by Jasmyn Lindsay and a sacrifice fly from Taylor Cheek, and scored twice more in the fifth as Ashton Whitaker delivered a two-run single to right field. In the bottom of the fifth, Morgan Ward led off with a single for the Pioneers, and pinch-runner Taylor Lewis scored on another double to right-center by Wisner. With two outs, Carolyn Williamson was safe on an infield single which allowed Wisner to score and cut the deficit to 4-3.

Both teams put runners at second and third in the sixth, but Tusculum reliever Cayla Cecil escaped a one-out jam while Scott worked out of two-out trouble to preserve Queens' one-run lead. In the seventh, Scott retired the side on a fly ball, line drive and ground ball for her first save of the season.

Wisner finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Pioneers, part of a seven-hit attack. Whitaker and McCurry each went 2-for-3 for the Royals, who had nine hits in the game.

McCurry worked 4 1/3 innings for the win for the Royals, allowing five hits and three earned runs while striking out four. Scott allowed two hits and one walk in 2 2/3 innings of relief, striking out one batter.

Davis (8-9) worked four-plus innings for the Pioneers, allowing six hits and four runs (three earned) with two strikeouts and one walk. Cecil threw three scoreless innings of relief, surrendering three hits and walking none.

Game 2: Queens 5, Tusculum 0 - box score
Catelyn Presley combined with Scott on a six-hitter while the Royals scored three runs in the first and two more in the sixth to finish off the doubleheader sweep.

Presley (3-6) worked into the sixth inning for Queens, giving up six hits and striking out three. Scott followed with two hitless innings of relief, with one strikeout and one walk.

Queens raced to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first against Tusculum starter Taylor Plemons (2-5), who would be pulled in favor of Cecil after getting two outs. A hit by Hanna Hasker brought home two runs while Lindsay added a two-out double for the third Royals run of the frame.

Tusculum threatened in the bottom of the second with two outs as Bailey Culler doubled, Wisner was hit by a pitch and Keene had a single to load the bases. However, Presley came through with a strikeout to preserve the Queens lead at 3-0.

In the sixth, the Royals added two runs on an RBI triple by McCurry and a squeeze bunt by Lindsay. Tusculum put two runners on base in the seventh, but Scott recorded the final out of the game on a popup to shortstop.

Taylor Rosenbalm went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored for the Royals, while Whitaker was 2-for-4 as part of a 10-hit attack for Queens. Tusculum's six hits came from six different players in the lineup, with Keene going 1-for-2 with a walk and Wisner reaching base twice via hit by pitch.

Plemons gave up three runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning for Tusculum, while Cecil surrendered six hits and two earned runs while striking out three in 6 1/3 innings of relief.

- TC -