HICKORY, N.C. --- The Tusculum University softball team was hammered by the Lenoir-Rhyne bats on Saturday (Mar. 4) behind a combined 21 hits by the Bears, including five home runs.
Tusculum (11-12, 0-4 SAC) returns home to friendly Red Edmonds Field on Wednesday (Mar. 8) when the Pioneers play host to the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters (17-10, 3-1 SAC) for a 1 p.m. twin billing. TU is 8-4 at home compared to 1-8 in away contests.
Game 1: #21 Lenoir-Rhyne 10, Tusculum 2 (6 inns.)
The Bears scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to enforce the run-rule victory in the opener. Claire Smeltzer (2) and Hayley Lazo (1) registered the Pioneer hits.
Lenoir-Rhyne struck first with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.
Tusculum threatened in the second. Emily Sappington drew a four-pitch walk but was out on Sammy Jimenez's fielder's choice. Hannah Hughes was hit by a pitch to move Jimenez to second. With two outs, Hughes and Jimenez advanced 60 feet on a wild pitch. Lazo was plunked to load the bases, but a strikeout ended the rally.
The Bears hit back-to-back solo home runs in the fourth to double their lead.
Smeltzer responded in kind. Kallyn Newport reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. Smeltzer pulled her third homer of the season down the right field line to cut the LR advantage in half.
A RBI single in the fifth opened the lead back up.
LR added five runs on five hits (all with no outs) ended the contest early due to run-rule.
Ireland Cavanaugh (4-5) got the start and went 3.2 innings. The junior surrendered four runs (all earned) on six hits, including three homers. Keylon Reynolds finished out the game with six runs on seven hits.
Game 2: #21 Lenoir-Rhyne 6, Tusculum 5
Maddie McBride whacked her team-leading fourth home run of the season, but LR came from behind to earn the day's sweep.
TU plated four runs on four hits, aided by a Lenoir-Rhyne error, in the fourth to take its first lead of the day. Sappington and Chloe Freischmidt knocked consecutive singles through the right side as Italia Kyle entered to pinch run for the pitcher. The duo advanced on a passed ball with one out. Jimenez hit into a fielder's choice but an errant throw by LR allowed both Kyle and Freischmidt to score. McBride capitalized on a 3-2 count, hitting her pitch over the right field fence.
The Bears retaliated with three unearned runs in the bottom half of the frame.
Newport and Freischmidt drew walks in the fifth and advanced on a groundout. Jimenez also worked a walk and the lead runner Newport scored on the ball-four wild pitch.
Lenoir-Rhyne tied the ball game with a two-run shot in the fifth.
Tusculum went three-up, three-down in the sixth and seventh.
The first pitch of the bottom of the seventh was all the Bears needed. A solo home run went over the center field fence to walk off game two.
Emily Sappington (5-6) tossed a complete game, giving up eight hits, six runs (three earned), three walks, and struck out four. She has a chance to become the program's career strikeout leader on Wednesday vs LMU, needing only four.
