GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team recorded several season-highs on Tuesday (March. 1) to improve to 8-0 in the series history over Converse.
Tusculum (11-6) stays home to resume last weekend's halted series versus Lees-McRae. The Pioneers and Bobcats will try again on Thursday (Mar. 3), starting at 4 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 4, Converse 1
Ireland Cavanaugh (4-1) tossed a career-high eight strikeouts, while Kallyn Newport went 3-for-3 at the plate. She drove in two runs and scored the remaining pair. Angela Masiello also collected her first collegiate hit in game one.
TU broke the scoreless tie in the second. Chloe Freischmidt belted a lead-off double and Hayley Lazo bunted her over to third. Newport notched her first hit of the day, an infield single, to score Freischmidt. She quickly stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw by the Converse backstop. The first of two Kiley Longmire doubles in the contest knocked in the second run of the inning.
Converse got a run across in the sixth. A lead-off single, fielder's choice, and a pair of fly outs spoiled the shutout.
Tusculum responded with two of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Masiello's pinch hit single kicked off the small-ball scoring. She stole second and Lazo laid down another perfect sacrifice bunt. An infield single by Newport and a second throwing error by the Converse catcher scored Masiello, putting Newport on second. She moved up 60 feet on a passed ball and a sacrifice fly by Ashley Harbison brought in the game's final run.
Cavanaugh retired the first eight batters of the contest before the Valkyries had their first runner aboard via error. She relented a walk in the fourth and the no-hit bid was broken up in the sixth.
Game 2: Tusculum 11, Converse 3 (5 inns.)
The Pioneers scored in every inning to run-rule the Valkyries in the nightcap. TU had season-bests in runs (11), hits (14), triples (2), and RBI (11), all without a single strikeout. Mya Maddox had two doubles and drove in four, while Masiello also came up big in her first start.
Maddox led-off game two with a single back up the middle and stole second. Masiello did the same to put runners on the corners. This forced a pitching change from Converse two batters in with no outs. Masiello moved into scoring position as well with her first of two steals in the contest. Katelynn Hodges hit a sacrifice fly to score Maddox, but Masiello was thrown out on the play. Anna Alloway collected career hit No. 199 and scored on a Freischmidt double.
Newport and Hannah Hughes notched back-to-back singles, advancing on a Longmire groundout. Maddox thumped a double to left field to bring the lead to 4-0. Masiello followed up with a single up the middle to score the speedy Maddox.
Tusculum plated four more runs in the third. Once again, Newport and Hughes notched consecutive hits and Madison McGinnis entered to pinch run for Hughes. Longmire reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with no outs. Makayla Bush was her pinch runner. Maddox doubled to score two, while Masiello grounded out as Bush booked it home. Hodges did the same to bring in Maddox.
The Valkyries used four hits to score three runs in the fourth to spoil another shutout.
The Pioneers were able to push the lead back out to eight for a chance to run-rule Converse. Emma Schaad drew a pinch-hit walk. Hughes and Longmire legged out two-straight triples to score twice.
TU was able to get the final three outs with no damage to secure the first run-rule of the season.
Keylon Reynolds (2-0) pitched the complete game and sat down the first nine batters in order. The sophomore struck out five, allowed five hits, and had three runs score. She also did not surrender a single walk, needing just 69 pitches.
