Tusculum College split a South Atlantic Conference softball
doubleheader with Catawba College on Saturday at Red Edmonds Field,
with the visiting Indians winning the opener 1-0 and the Pioneers
taking game two by a score of 3-0.
The Pioneers finish their regular season with a 21-31 overall
record and 6-16 in the SAC, while the Indians head to the SAC
Tournament as the number-two seed after going 34-13 in the regular
season and 18-4 in the conference.
Game 1: Catawba 1, Tusculum 0 - box score
An unearned run in the sixth inning was the only blemish in a
pitcher's duel between Catawba ace Carley Tysinger and Tusculum
starter Eliza Davis. The Indians had 10 hits in the game, but
needed a two-out error in the sixth inning to push across the only
run of the game.
Catawba had the game's first scoring chance in the top of the
second as Morgan Brann led off with a single and took second on a
sacrifice bunt by Tysinger. Taylor Adams reached on an infield
single to shortstop, but Brann was thrown out at the plate as she
tried to score. The Indians also had two hits in the third inning,
but Davis retired the side on a fly ball to keep the game
scoreless.
Tusculum's first threat against Tysinger came in the third with one
out, when Rachel Wisner hit a sinking liner to right that went all
the way to the fence for a triple. After Taylor Lewis reached on a
bunt single and stole second, Tysinger struck out the next two
batters to end the inning.
In the fifth, the Indians put runners at first and second with
nobody out, but an infield popup, a comebacker and a ground out to
third ended the inning without a run scoring.
Catawba finally broke the tie in the sixth as Brann singled with
one out and gave way to pinch-runner Beth Ann Martin. After a fly
ball for the second out, the Indians loaded the bases on a single
by Adams and a fielder's choice grounder. Lynnsey Taylor was then
safe on an error as Martin scored the game's first run.
The Pioneers mounted a rally in the sixth as Miranda Beeler and
Carolyn Williamson reached on back-to-back infield singles with one
out. However, a strikeout and a fielder's choice groundout retired
the Pioneers and kept the Indians on top 1-0.
Protecting the 1-0 lead, Tysinger walked Morgan Ward on four
pitches with one out in the seventh then hit Wisner with a pitch
with two outs. However, her 10th strikeout of the game finished off
the four-hit shutout for Tysinger, who needed 91 pitches to improve
her record to 27-7.
Davis (10-16) did not walk or strike out a batter and used just 81
pitches, while working around 10 singles in the complete-game
effort for the Pioneers.
Game 2: Tusculum 3, Catawba 0 - box score
Davis (11-16) went the distance again in game two, allowing seven
singles and striking out five in her second complete-game shutout
of the season. Meanwhile, Tysinger (27-8) struck out 12 and allowed
seven hits, but gave up three unearned runs in the second inning
that the Pioneers made stand up.
Catawba picked up back-to-back singles with two outs in the first,
but Davis set down the side on a fly ball to center field. Tusculum
threatened in its half of the first as Beeler led off with a single
off the third-base bag and moved up to third on a pair of wild
pitches. However, Tysinger got out of trouble on a popped-up bunt
and a called third strike.
Tusculum broke through in the bottom of the second inning with two
runs on four hits. Jordan Keene led off with a single and Bailey
Culler was safe on an error with one out. After a strikeout, Taylor
Battle singled to left field to drive home Harper Ford and give the
Pioneers a 1-0 lead. Following a bunt single by Beeler, Williamson
delivered a single to left to drive in Battle and pinch-runner
Morgan Mahaffey for a 3-0 Tusculum advantage.
Meanwhile, the Indians had exactly one hit in each of the last five
innings against Davis, including the seventh when Adams led off
with a walk and Holli Chandler reached on an infield single. After
a popup, the Pioneers got the final two outs when Caroline Turner
hit a line drive to Emily Hester at third base, which she converted
into a game-ending double play.
Battle went 2-for-3 in game two for the Pioneers with her
conference-best 29th stolen base, while Beeler was 2-for-4 with a
pair of singles. Taylor paced the Indians at the plate as she went
2-for-3.