GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University softball is scheduled to open the home portion of the 2020 schedule against Davis & Elkins on Saturday, February 8. The Pioneers will look to tie the program's best start (6-0) with a doubleheader sweep of the Senators.
RECAPPING THE WEEK
The Pioneers swept both Converse and Claflin on the road to crack open 2020, going 4-0 to start the season for just the fifth time in program history.
Earlier this morning, Anna Alloway claimed the first SAC AstroTurf Player of the Week honor for the Pioneers since 2013. The junior utility player finished with a batting average of .700, an on-base percentage of .824, and slugged 1.300. The Louisville, Tenn. native totaled eight runs scored, eight runs batted in, seven hits, seven walks, three doubles, and a three-run homer. Alexis Grampp is also having a solid start to her final year with nine RBI, seven hits, two doubles, two triples, and a homerun. The Harrison, Tenn. native is netting a .412 batting average, .412 on-base percentage, and slugging .941. Senior Taylor Johnson has contributed six hits, four runs scored and batted in, two doubles, drawn a pair of walks, and one homer. Hailing from Spring Hill, Tenn., she has a .429/.500/.786 clip.
The pitching staff has been solid through the season's first four games. Freshman Madison Michael has impressed in her collegiate debut. The Cumming, Ga. native has won and completed both games in which she's pitched, allowing just three hits, one walk, and one unearned run to seven strikeouts. Junior Ivee Richesin pitched against Converse in the season opener, giving up one hit and one walk against four strikeouts in three innings of action. Allison Pate pitched the five inning run-rule over Claflin. The senior finished with two earned runs, three walks, four hits, and six strikeouts.
As a team, Tusculum has scored 42 runs with 37 hits, nine doubles, two triples, and four homeruns. The Pioneers have drawn 19 walks, batted in 38 runners, stolen six bases, and been hit by seven pitches, all while striking out 13 times. Collectively, the team is batting .339 and slugging .569 with an on-base percentage of .463. The pitching staff has a 2.23 earned run average with 19 strikeouts, allowing a batting average against of just .163.
LOOKING AHEAD
Davis & Elkins (0-0) has yet to begin their season. Last year marked the first meeting in the series history as the Pioneers took both games of the doubleheader 5-4. The Senators lost their major offensive producer in Alyssa Cairns to graduation. She led the team in nearly every offensive statistical category (hits, batting average, runs, doubles, triples, RBI, walks, slugging percentage, etc.). Davis & Elkins does return Ryn Boelter and Rhetta Persinger. The two tied in batting average (.327), while Boelter was second on the squad with 18 walks. Persinger led the squad with eight homers after playing in all 50 games, starting in 49 of them. Haley Grindstaff was one of the top pitchers for the Senators in 2019. She went 8-11 in 126.2 innings with a 6.18 earned run average and eight complete games. Grindstaff recorded 69 strikeouts, 65 walks, 87 earned runs, and allowed a batting average of .322 to her opponents.
Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.