GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team fell 10-4 in game one to Newberry, but the Pioneers rebounded in the nightcap 5-1 to salvage a split versus the Wolves.
Tusculum (18-16, 12-10 SAC) hosts UVA Wise in a high-stakes tilt on Sunday (Apr. 18). The doubleheader marks the regular season finale and Senior Day for the Pioneers. Teams across the league are vying for position in the upcoming South Atlantic Conference Tournament, hosted at Red Edmonds Field (Apr. 23-24).
Game 1: Newberry 10, Tusculum 4
Chloe Freischmidt drove in a pair of runs as a part of a two-hit game for the junior catcher. The Wolves capitalized on two TU errors to score five unearned runs in the day's first game.
A first inning two-out, two-run homer got Newberry on the board early, but Tusculum responded well.
Anna Alloway led-off with a single through the right side, followed by one-of-three Mya Maddox walks. Freischmidt drove in her teammates on a long single to center field, in which she advanced to second on the throw home. Kiley Longmire switched places with Freischmidt after a double of her own, giving TU the 3-2 lead.
The game was quiet until the Wolves tied it up in the fourth. Newberry's first two batters reached via a hit by pitch and a single. After a flyout and a fielder's choice to get the runner out at third, the visitors were now batting with two outs. An infield single loaded the bases and a single drove in the lead runner.
Tusculum regained the lead in its half of the inning. Emily Sappington drew a walk and senior Kristen Gass entered to pinch run for the pitcher. Freshman Claire Smeltzer drilled a double to left center, which allowed Gass to speed around the base path and score.
Newberry claimed the advantage for good after seven unanswered runs mixed between the final three innings of play.
Sappington (8-7) pitched 4.2 innings, totaling four earned runs, five strikeouts, one walk, and 11 hits. Keylon Reynolds tossed the remaining 2.1 inning with two strikeouts and one earned run on six hits.
Game 2: Tusculum 5, Newberry 1
Savannah Foster pitched her second complete game of the season in the nightcap, while the TU offense evenly distributed its workload. The Pioneer defense was also able to strand 12 Newberry runners on base.
The Wolves threatened in the first inning as back-to-back singles and a double steal put a pair of runners in scoring position. However, a popup and flyout negated them.
Hayley Lazo stepped up to the plate with two outs in the second and homered the first pitch that was thrown to her, her fourth within a week.
Newberry had the bases loaded with no outs in the third, but to no avail. The Wolves fouled out two-straight batters to newly-inserted third baseman Hannah Hughes and a Smeltzer diving catch in left squashed the danger.
As a part of her 2-for-2 game, Alexis Grampp doubled down the left field line to begin the fourth inning. Consecutive groundouts by Freischmidt and Sappington plated the shortstop after some smart baserunning.
The visitors got on the board in the next half inning. Foster plunked two-straight batters and a single back up the middle made the Pioneers pay.
Tusculum gave Foster some breathing room after a three-run fifth. Smeltzer drew a walk, Gass pinch ran, and Claire Crout laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance her to second. Three consecutive hits by Alloway, Maddox, and Grampp extended the Pioneer lead.
The Wolves went down in order in the sixth and a two-out rally was ended by a great catch for the final out by Maddox in right center.
Foster (3-0) threw 113 pitches over her seven innings, in which Newberry scattered six hits. She allowed one earned run, one walk, and one strikeout, but hit five batters.
