GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team poured on 24 runs and 31 hits to sweep Southern Wesleyan on Friday (Feb. 24), recording four-straight run-rule victories. Fifth-year senior Chloe Freischmidt reached the 100-RBI benchmark for her career at TU.
Tusculum (11-8) opens up South Atlantic Conference play on Wednesday (Mar. 1) at newcomer Emory & Henry. First pitch from Virginia is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 11, Southern Wesleyan 3 (6 inns.)
Ireland Cavanaugh had a career outing in the circle, aided by the outstanding bats of Sammy Jimenez and Claire Smeltzer.
Cavanaugh started the series in dominant fashion, striking out the first three batters looking.
Kallyn Newport outran a bunt single, followed by Smeltzer's first double of the game, down the first base line. Newport scored all the way from first on the play. Smeltzer advanced to third on a groundout, scoring on Emily Sappington's sacrifice fly.
SWU plated all three of its runs in the third inning to take a momentary lead. The Warriors tallied five hits (all singles) to pull ahead.
Freischmidt drew a one-out walk, advancing to third on a Sappington single to right center. The catcher raced out a fielder's choice by Jimenez to tie the opener at three after three complete innings.
The TU defense came to play with an inning-ending double play in the fourth. With a runner on first with one out, Southern Wesleyan laid down a sacrifice bunt and was thrown out. The runner kept going, trying to sneak into third, but a perfect throw from Katelynn Hodges to Jimenez got the third out easily.
Tusculum tacked on a pair of runs on Smeltzer's second double of the contest. Maddie McBridge led off with a single through the left side, stealing second. Hodges legged out an infield single and McBride took third on the play. Hodges quickly stole a base to move into scoring position. With two outs, Smeltzer added to her team-high RBI count by driving in both of her teammates.
Sappington drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, advancing on a wild pitch. Jimenez singled down the right field line to score a hustling designated player. Jimenez also moved up on a wild pitch, followed by a Hannah Hughes walk. McBride executed a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position. Hayley Lazo capitalized with a double to left field, scoring both teammates.
The Warriors had runners on the corners with only one out in the top of the sixth to put pressure on Cavanaugh, but the junior delivered by striking out the next two batters.
Needing three runs to put a run-rule into play, the Pioneers did just that. Newport, Smeltzer, and Freischmidt notched three-straight singles to load the bases with no outs. Sappington stood in and patiently worked a walk. Jimenez hit a single back up the middle to plate the necessary two runs and end the game early.
Cavanaugh (4-3) won her third-straight decision, firing a career-high 10 strikeouts. Across 91 pitches, she allowed three runs (all earned) on eight hits with one walk.
Game 2: Tusculum 13, Southern Wesleyan 4 (5 inns.)
The Pioneers totaled nine extra base hits to wrap up the sweep. Six players had multi-hit outings, while the pitching duo of Keylon Reynolds and Sappington kept Southern Wesleyan under wraps.
Reynolds followed Cavanaugh's lead by striking out the first two batters of the second game, sitting down the six Warriors to start her outing.
TU notched three-straight hits to start off the bottom half of the first. Newport singled to right center and stole second. Smeltzer and Freischmidt rocketed consecutive doubles to go up 2-0. Freischmidt advanced on a flyout and was driven in by a Hughes double.
Tusculum added two more runs in the second to take a 5-0 lead. Newport doubled to center, advancing twice on wild pitches to score. Freischmidt launched a first-pitch home run, her third over the last four games.
SWU recorded all four runs in the third inning on three hits and an error.
McBride reached on her second walk of the game, moving up on a flyout, and scoring on Hodges' double to left to add a bit of breathing room on the scoreboard.
After her team-leading fourth triple, Jimenez easily trotted home on Hughes' single to left.
The Tusculum offense exploded with six runs in the fifth to record its fourth-straight run-rule victory. Lazo led off with a single down the third base line, as Italia Kyle entered as a pinch runner. Hodges and Newport both singled to load the bases with no outs. Smeltzer barreled her fourth double of the series to empty the bases for three runs. She moved up on a groundout, scoring on a Jimenez single. Jimenez also moved up on a groundout. McBride took a 1-0 pitch over the left center fence, tying her for the team-lead in home runs this season, ending the contest.
Reynolds (2-1) threw 53 pitches across her three innings of work, surrendering four runs (two earned) on three hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. Sappington got the two inning save, striking out three with one hit, tossing 24 pitches.
