ROCK HILL, S.C. --- For the first time since 2017, the Tusculum University softball team has qualified for the South Atlantic Conference tournament and will be the No. 6 seed at the 2021 SAC Championship. The eight-team, two-day championship is being held at J.C. Red Edmonds Field in Greeneville, Tennessee this Friday through Saturday (Apr. 23-24).

The single-elimination SAC Championship begins on Friday with all four quarterfinal games as No. 4 Wingate takes on No. 5 Carson-Newman at 11 a.m. In 2.5 hour increments, the remaining matchups are: No. 1 Lincoln Memorial (No. 7 in NFCA poll) and No. 8 UVA Wise, No. 2 Anderson and No. 7 Lenoir-Rhyne, and No. 3 Catawba and No. 6 Tusculum to close out the day.

The winners of the first two games will face each in the semifinals at noon on Saturday, followed by the latter teams' contest. The championship game is on the docket for 5 p.m. The winner of the SAC Softball Championship will receive the league's automatic bid to next month's NCAA Division II Tournament.

Tusculum posted a 5-3 record last week, including a doubleheader sweep at Queens. The Pioneers enter the tournament with a 19-17 overall record and went 13-11 in league play.

TU will seek its first SAC Championship title in program history.

2021 SAC Softball Championship
J.C. Red Edmonds Field | Greeneville, Tenn.

Friday, April 23, 2021
Game 1: #4 Wingate vs. #5 Carson-Newman, 11:00 a.m.
Game 2: #1 Lincoln Memorial vs. #8 UVA Wise, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: #2 Anderson vs. #7 Lenoir-Rhyne, 4:00 p.m.
Game 4: #3 Catawba vs. #6 Tusculum, 6:30 p.m. 

Saturday, April 24, 2021
Game 5: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 12 p.m.
Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 5:00 p.m.