FLORENCE, S.C. --- The Tusculum University softball team returned to its winning ways in the Raines Company Softball Classic finale versus Bloomsburg on Saturday (Feb. 20) after dropping its second-straight contest to Francis Marion.
Tusculum (9-5) is scheduled to host Emmanuel on Tuesday (Feb. 22) at 2 p.m.
Game 1: Francis Marion 6, Tusculum 5
The Pioneers made a furious comeback in the top of the seventh, but fell victim to a walk-off outcome. Alyssa Suits hit her first collegiate home run in the grudge match against the Patriots.
Francis Marion got on the board first with a two-run scoring double in the third inning.
Anna Alloway narrowly missed a home run to lead off the fourth. She reached second after her drive hit off of the top of the left field wall. TU was unable to convert it into a run.
Kiley Longmire tied the game up in the next inning with her second homer of the season. Suits doubled to left as the first batter of the frame. Longmire stepped in and cleared the bases with a shot to left.
The Patriots retook the lead with a bases loaded double in the sixth inning.
Down three heading into the final frame, the Pioneers mounted their comeback effort. Suits forced a pitching change with her solo homer to left. Ashley Harbison notched a pinch-hit single to right, with Madison McGinnis coming in to run. Longmire pulled a single and Kaylee Higgins was selected as the pinch runner. Mya Maddox executed a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position with two outs. Katelynn Hodges dug in and sent a single back up the middle to score the speedy runners, tying the contest. Hodges advanced on the throw and moved to third on a wild pitch for the go-ahead run, falling 60 feet short.
FMU drew a walk with one out, followed by a strikeout. TU was one out away from extras before a double to left center scored the runner and ended the contest.
Emily Sappington (5-2) dropped her second complete game in as many days. The junior left-hander surrendered six earned runs on 10 hits, two walks, and struck out seven.
Game 2: Tusculum 8, Bloomsburg 2
Four Pioneers had a multi-hit game to close the weekend with a bounce-back win: Maddox (3), Alloway (3), Hayley Lazo (2), and Longmire (2). Alloway and Longmire are credited with all seven runs batted in with five and two, respectively.
TU broke through in the third in style. Longmire, Maddox, and Hodges went back-to-back-to-back with singles to bring up Alloway. She launched her second career grand slam and 28th homer of her legendary career, one shy of the program record.
The Tusculum home run barrage wasn't done yet. Hannah Hughes doubled to get on base in the fourth. Longmire hit her second homer of the day and third of the season to extend the Pioneer lead to 6-0. Maddox followed with an infield single and advanced on a throwing error. She moved up one more bag on a Hodges ground out. Alloway sent a shot back up the middle to score Maddox.
The Huskies had a runner on third in the fourth but were unable to convert.
TU scored its eighth unanswered run in the sixth. Maddox made a quick trip around the bases on her own. She tripled to the wall and was able to come home when the relay throw went wild.
Bloomsburg was held scoreless until the sixth. Three-straight hits allowed a pair to cross home to avoid the shutout.
Ireland Cavanaugh (3-1) pitched a complete game to pick up her third win as a Pioneer. The sophomore finished with five strikeouts, scattering seven hits and one walk across her 104 pitches.
