GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team used late inning heroics to come away with a split against the UVA Wise Cavaliers on the Pioneers' Senior Day and a postseason berth.
Tusculum (19-17, 13-11 SAC) has clinched a spot in the upcoming South Atlantic Conference Tournament. The Pioneers will have home field advantage as the two-day event (Apr. 23-24) will be played at Red Edmonds Field. The SAC will announce seeding Monday (Apr. 19) night after the completion of the league's final two series.
Game 1: UVA Wise 6, Tusculum 1
The TU bats were cold in game one of the doubleheader as the Pioneers were only able to garner three hits, none of which led the team's lone run. Seniors Alexis Grampp (2) and Brittney Franse accounted for the trio of knocks, while senior Kristen Gass scored the run.
The Cavaliers crossed the plate in five-of-seven innings, with a high of two runs in the third.
Emily Sappington drew a walk to start the Pioneer-half of the fourth inning. Gass entered as a pinch runner. Kiley Longmire attempted to bunt her over one base, but both moved up two on a throwing error by the pitcher. Hayley Lazo was able to capitalize with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Kaitlyn Pickens (3-4) started in her return to the field, tossing two innings of three-run ball. She struck out one, walked two, and allowed four hits. Keylon Reynolds pitched five innings of relief, while striking out a career-high seven batters. She walked one, relenting two earned runs and seven hits.
Game 2: Tusculum 4, UVA Wise 3 (8 innings)
The Pioneers were down to their last out in the seventh inning, down 2-0, before a rally influenced by the five seniors honored pregame came into effect.
Mya Maddox bunted for a single, stole second, and advanced to third on the catcher's errant throw. However, TU could not convert despite only one out on the board.
The first two runs of the game came via a home run down the left field line by a Cavalier. Alexis Miles broke the UVA Wise career homer record with her 33rd bomb.
Tusculum managed to get two runners in scoring position after Gass singled to lead off the sixth. Franse dropped a sacrifice bunt, advancing her. Alloway notched an infield single, but Gass was not able to move up. However, a wild pitch put the Pioneers' first run 60 feet away with one out. Again, nothing doing for Tusculum.
The Cavaliers threatened in the seven with a runner at third, but Grampp caught a popup in foul territory to bring TU up to bat.
Chloe Freischmidt singled to center, but Longmire grounded into a double play to clear the bases. With things looking grim, Sappington was able to hustle down the base path to reach on a fielding error by the UVA Wise second baseman. Angela Masiello was subbed in to pinch run. Lazo's new-found home run knack came to a head as she hammered a shot over the left field wall to give the Pioneers new life and a tie ball game.
The Cavaliers were able to score the extra-inning runner on second with the first batter. UVA Wise was able to load the bases, but a ball hit directly to Franse at second was the third out.
Here came the attack of the TU seniors. Gass was placed on second with Franse in the batter's box. She singled to left and advanced to second on the throw, while Gass stopped at third. Alloway launched a ball to the left fielder and Gass was able to tie the game on the sacrifice fly. Maddox bunted and was safe at first, advancing Franse to third. Grampp, known more for her power, caught the UVA Wise defense by surprise and executed a squeeze bunt to perfection, with Franse beating out the play to score the winning run.
Savannah Foster started game two and pitched four innings. She allowed six hits, two earned runs, and one walk across 67 pitches. Senior Delilah Malczewski (1-4) relieved Foster and saved her best performance of the season until it was needed the most. She picked up her first win of the year on Senior Day, striking out two with four hits scattered. The only run allowed by Malczewski was the international tiebreaker, which goes down unearned.
