ANDERSON, S.C. --- Anderson University hit five home runs in a doubleheader sweep of Tusculum College in South Atlantic Conference softball action Wednesday afternoon. The Trojans (28-14, 8-8 SAC) won the opener 7-1 and took game two by a score of 5-1 from the Pioneers (17-27, 3-13 SAC).
Tusculum returns to the road on Saturday with a SAC doubleheader
at Newberry, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
Anderson 7, Tusculum 1 - box score
The Trojans scored five runs in the first inning to erase an early
1-0 deficit, including a three-run home run by Rachel Barefield.
Cailah Niles added a two-run homer in the fifth and finished
2-for-3 for the Trojans.
The Pioneers' lone run came on a home run by Robin Stoner with two outs in the first inning off Anderson starter Augie Pena, which gave Tusculum an early 1-0 lead. However, the Trojans came back with five runs off Pioneer starter Eliza Davis, including an RBI single by Kasey Grant which preceded Barefield's blast.
Niles' home run came off Tusculum reliever Cayla Cecil in the fifth to extend the Anderson lead to 7-1, and Randee Bettis closed out the win with three scoreless innings in relief of Pena, who struck out eight in four innings.
Tusculum finished with four hits in the game, including a pair from Emily Hester who went 2-for-3 with a double. Taylor Battle had the Pioneers' other hit with a single in the seventh inning.
Davis (8-14) gave up four earned runs in 2/3 of an inning for the Pioneers, while Cecil surrendered two runs on two hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 5 1/3 innings of relief.
Anderson 5, Tusculum 1 - box score
The Trojans hit three more home runs in game two of the
doubleheader, including the second of the day by Barefield. Molly
Child and Madison Bivins also went deep for Anderson, which scored
four of its five runs in the game via the long ball.
Just as they did in the opener, the Pioneers took a 1-0 lead over
the Trojans as they scored a run in the top of the second inning.
Hester led off with a walk, pinch-runner Taylor Lewis stole second
and scored on an RBI single by Jenna Restivo.
The Trojans tied the game off Pioneer starter Taylor Plemons in the
bottom of the inning, as Bivins led off with a home run and
Barefield hit a two-run shot with one out for a 3-1 lead.
Tusculum threatened in the third as Carolyn Williamson singled with
one out and Battle reached safely on an error. However, Anderson
starter Lauren Rudesheim retired the next two batters to preserve
the Trojans' 3-1 advantage. The Pioneers mounted a rally in the
fourth as Restivo walked with one out and Morgan Ward reached on a
two-out single, but a ground out ended the inning.
Anderson added to its lead in the fifth on a solo home run by
Child, and took a 5-1 advantage in the sixth on an RBI single by
Carli Hurtado. Tusculum threatened in the seventh on a walk to
Morgan Mahaffey and an infield single by Williamson, but reliever
Bettis struck out the final two batters to preserve the win for
Rudesheim and earn her second save of the day.
Williamson went 2-for-4 to account for half of the Pioneers' four
hits, while Restivo reached safely twice in three trips on a single
and a walk. Niles was 2-for-3 for Anderson, and was the only player
with more than one hit in the Trojan lineup in the nightcap.
Plemons (2-7) tossed her second complete game of the season for
Tusculum, allowing eight hits and five earned runs with two
strikeouts and three walks. Rudesheim (12-5) worked four innings
for the victory for Anderson, giving up three hits and an earned
run. Bettis pitched the final three innings and had six strikeouts
while allowing just one hit.
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