GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team split its South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with Queens University of Charlotte on Friday (Apr. 15), courtesy of a pair of dramatic endings.
Tusculum (23-18, 10-10 SAC) will play at Red Edmonds Field for the final time in 2022 when it steps out of conference to host Lee on Tuesday (Apr. 19). First pitch against the Flames is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Game 1: Queens 4, Tusculum 3 (9 innings)
The conference foes needed extra innings to get on the scoreboard, using the international tie-breaker, before a bases-clearing triple gave Queens enough of a buffer to outlast Tusculum. The Pioneers outhit the Royals seven to four, leading six runners on compared to four.
Neither team got a runner past second until the eighth inning.
Queens collected the game's first score on a sacrifice fly.
Tusculum responded with the tying run in the bottom half of the inning. Kaylee Higgins pinch ran at second to start. Hannah Hughes faked a bunt, pulling the bat back to catch the Royals defense off guard. Hughes and Higgins traded places to extend the contest. Makayla Bush entered to run for Hughes and advanced to third on an Alyssa Suits sacrifice bunt, but was unable to move any further.
The Royals advanced their runner to third on a sacrifice bunt. The next batter walked and moved up on a defensive indifference. With only the one out, the decision was made to intentionally walk the next batter to load the bases and have the force-out at home. The following batter struck out swinging. With Tusculum one strike away from getting out of the inning, Queens laced a bases-clearing triple to right center.
To start the TU half of the ninth, the Pioneers' best runner, Mya Maddox, was placed on second base. Kallyn Newport singled through the left side and Maddox touched third. Both runners advanced 60 feet on a fielding error by Queens. Lazo walked and Emily Sappington stepped in with two outs. She pulled a single through the right side to score Newport. However, the rally fell short after the third out was recorded on the next pitch.
Sappington (10-10) had a solid outing despite the loss. In her 19th complete game this spring, she threw 128 pitches for nine strikeouts, four hits, two walks, and allowed four runs (two earned).
Game 2: Tusculum 8, Queens 0 (6 innings)
Ireland Cavanaugh pitched a two-hit, run-rule shutout in the nightcap, aided by Hayley Lazo's first career grand slam. Anna Alloway added a 3-for-3 performance as the designated player to boost her batting average.
Suits led off the third inning with a single to left, followed by a steal of second. Maddox drew a four-pitch walk and Newport legged out a bunt single to load the bases with only one out. On a 2-2 count, Lazo launched a pitch over the left field fence for her first homer of the season to pull the Pioneers ahead, 4-0.
TU padded its lead by two more in the fourth frame. Katelynn Hodges, Maddox, and Newport knocked three consecutive singles for the fifth run. Chloe Freischmidt was credited with a ground-rule double to score Maddox after a ball ricocheted off of the second baseman into the Queens dugout.
By adding two more runs in the sixth, Tusculum was able to end the game early via mercy rule. Maddox bunted for a single and stole her 33rd base of the season. Lazo reached on a fielding error by the Royals, which allowed the speedy Maddox to score. Freischmidt drew a 13-pitch walk, including eight foul balls, pushing Lazo to second. Claire Smeltzer doubled down the right field line and Lazo touched home for the game-ending run.
Cavanaugh (10-5) pitched her second shutout and seventh complete game of the season. On only 77 pitches, she struck out two and surrendered two hits. An incredible 14 outs were made through the air to two on the ground.
