HARTSVILLE, S.C. --- Tusculum University softball's 25 combined hits against Coker in Saturday's (Mar. 26) doubleheader are the most in a two-game series this season, resulting in the Pioneers' seventh-straight win. In the nightcap, Anna Alloway collected her 29th career home run, tying her for the most in program history.
Tusculum (20-13, 7-5 SAC) returns to South Carolina on Tuesday (Mar. 29) to face nationally-ranked Anderson in a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
Game 1: Tusculum 8, Coker 0
Emily Sappington had her way in the circle and the batter's box to begin the twin-bill against the Cobras. The left-hander tossed her fourth shutout of the season and teed off her first home run of the 2022 campaign in her four RBI day. Both she and Alloway went 3-for-4 at the plate in game one.
TU's defense racked up three double plays, including two inning-ending. The first one in the opening frame wiped out an infield error, and in the second inning, a lead-off single. The outlier was a sixth-inning infield lineout.
Tusculum scored twice in the second inning. Chloe Freischmidt reached on a throwing error and landed at second. Alloway outran an infield single to put runners at the corners. Sappington singled down the left field line to plate her batterymate and move Madison McGinnis, who flexed for Alloway, to second. McGinnis stole second and Katelynn Hodges walked to load the bases with one out. Kiley Longmire singled to right to move everyone up 60 feet, earning TU the 2-0 advantage.
The Pioneers tacked on another run in the fourth. Sappington led off with an infield single and Makayla Bush pinch ran for the pitcher. She stole second and scored after Hodges reached on an infield error.
TU extended its lead to 5-0 in the fifth. Kallyn Newport laid down a bunt single and stole second, bringing up Hayley Lazo. She launched a double to left center to trade places with Newport as Alyssa Suits came in as a pinch runner. Freischmidt struck out swinging, but the ball was not fielding properly by the Cobra catcher, so Suits was able to advance. Alloway hit a single back up the middle to score Suits. She nearly scored later on after a wild pitch and double, but was thrown out at home.
Freischmidt singled and Alloway doubled to bring Sappington to the plate in the seventh. She aided her own cause by drilling a three-run homer to right center, her first of the season and third of her collegiate career.
No Coker runner touched second until the seventh inning. Back-to-back singles and a double-steal put a pair in scoring position. A walk loaded the bases with two outs, but a groundout clinched game one for TU.
Sappington (9-7) used her defense in the opener, striking out only one batter. In her 15th complete game, the junior walked just one and scattered six hits across her 81 pitches.
Game 2: Tusculum 12, Coker 4 (6 innings)
The Pioneers had three big innings to run-rule the Cobras, powered by a five-RBI, 3-for-3 showing from Alloway and three runs driven in by Lazo.
Freischmidt and Alloway picked up where they left off, notching consecutive doubles to score the game's first run in the second inning.
TU racked up four more runs in the next frame. Longmire drew a lead-off walk and Mya Maddox bunted for a single to put two on. Newport laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position. Lazo doubled down the left field line and was pinch run for by Suits. Freischmidt reached on a fielder's choice as Suits advanced a bag. Both runners moved up once more on a wild pitch, including Suits scoring. Alloway singled to left center to bring in the catcher Freischmidt.
Ireland Cavanaugh's no-hit bid was broken up in the fourth with a lead-off homer to center. Coker then recorded three doubles out of the next four batters to force a TU pitching change, bringing in Keylon Reynolds.
Tusculum got the three runs back in their next half inning. Newport doubled to key up the frame and Lazo reached on a fielder's choice. They both advanced on a passed ball. Alloway drilled her record-tying 29th career home run to center field to regain the five-run advantage. Hannah Hughes followed with a double, which brought a Coker pitching change. Hughes got to third on a passed ball, but was unable to cross home.
The Pioneers added four more scores in the sixth to put the run-rule in effect. Maddox struck out swinging as the second batter, but was able to reach on a wild pitch. She then stole second and scored on a Newport single. Newport got two freebies, a wild pitch and throwing error, to stand at third. Lazo drove her in on a single and moved to second on Freischmidt's flyout. Alloway drew a walk and Lazo scored on a Hughes hit. Hailey Berglof, in her first appearance since 2020, launched a RBI double to left center to score Alloway. Berglof is now 2-for-2 in her Tusculum career at the plate.
Needing two runs to avoid the mercy rule, Coker was only able to garner one. After consecutive strikeouts by Reynolds, the Cobras went single-walk-single to score their run. Sappington entered in relief to get the final out on five pitches.
Cavanaugh went 3.2 innings, an out shy of a decision, relenting three runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Reynolds (3-0) was effective in her two innings of work to pick up the win. She surrendered just one run on five hits, a walk, and three strikeouts, tossing 46 pitches. Sappington threw four strikes out of her five pitches to protect the run-rule victory.
