DAHLONEGA, Ga. --- The Tusculum University softball team captured its first NCAA tournament win in program history on Wednesday (May 19) night. TU was run-ruled by familiar foe Anderson, but staved off elimination with a solid victory over Emmanuel in the nightcap.

The Pioneers will play again on Friday (May 21st) at 3 p.m. against the winner of Thursday's elimination game.

Game 1: Anderson 8, Tusculum 0 (6 innings)
Mya Maddox reached base three times and Hayley Lazo touched first twice in the Pioneers loss to the Trojans. The centerfielder walked, singled, and reached on an error, while the first baseman crushed a pair of doubles. Maddox also stole her team-leading 19th base of the season.

TU threatened early as Anna Alloway used the second pitch of the game to run out an infield single. Maddox laid down a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error by the pitcher put two on with no outs. Chloe Freischmidt drove a single to right field. Alloway attempted to score but was thrown out at the plate.

Tusculum came close to scoring in the fourth inning as well. Lazo sent her second double of the game to left center. On a Claire Smeltzer single, Lazo was sent home but an Anderson relay beat her to the plate.

Anderson scored two runs in 4-of-6 innings in their rematch with the Pioneers. The Trojans used a trio of RBI singles, a double, a two-run homer, a TU wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly to continue in the winner's bracket.

Emily Sappington (11-8) picked up the defeat after tossing four innings of four-run ball. The left-hander struck out five, walked one, and rented seven hits on 79 pitches. Savannah Foster pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing four runs, three hits,  two walks, and a hit batter on 44 throws.

Game 2: Tusculum 6, Emmanuel 2
A bases-clearing triple by Brittney Franse and a pair of hits by both Sappington and Smeltzer saved the Pioneers from elimination in the NCAA tournament.

Tusculum plated five runs in a thrilling top of the second. Freischmidt singled to start things off and scored on a Sappington double. Kiley Longmire outran a bunt to put runners on the corners for the Pioneers. Lazo reached on a Lion fielding error to load the bases with no outs. Smeltzer's single moved every runner up 60 feet for TU's second run. Franse teed up her fourth career triple to extend the lead.

Sappington drew a four-pitch walk to begin the Pioneers' half of the fifth. Kristen Gass came in to pinch run for the TU pitcher. Longmire laid down a sacrifice bunt and a Lazo fly out moved her all the way to third. Smeltzer singled through the right side, allowing Gass to score with ease.

Emmanuel scored in the fifth and sixth to avoid being shutout. After a two-out triple in the fifth, the Lions were able to cross home on a fielding error and back-to-back doubles in the latter inning equaled a pair of runs.

Sappington (12-8) went the distance, throwing 93 pitches across seven innings. She struck out six, walked one, and allowed only one earned run.