GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Taylor MacDonald and Racheal Wilburn each drove in a pair of runs to lead the Tusculum College softball team to a doubleheader split with visiting North Greenville University on Thursday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field. North Greenville took game one by a score of 5-3 before the Pioneers struck early in the night cap to notch a 5-1 victory.
North Greenville (18-15) out-hit the Pioneers (9-15) by an 18-12 margin on the afternoon, including an 8-4 advantage in game two. Both teams struggled in the field, making a combined seven errors in the twin bill (Tusculum 4, North Greenville 3).
Savannah Ewing continued her strong hitting for the Pioneers, going 2-for-6 on the day after posting a 4-for-5 performance against Brevard on Wednesday. Ashley Burke paced the Pioneers with three hits, including a 2-for-4 showing in game one, as five different batters drove in at least one run for Tusculum.
Holli Cadenhead (5-7) pitched the full seven innings in game one, allowing four earned runs and striking out three. Elizabeth Johnson (1-2) earned her first collegiate win with a solid performance in game two, allowing one unearned run on eight hits in seven innings of work.
Shealy Broome, Courtney Campbell, and Kansas Wofford each tallied three hits for the Crusaders, as six batters posted multi-hit days for North Greenville. Wofford led North Greenville with two RBI as five Crusaders drove in at least one run.
Laura Hopper made the start in game one, allowing no runs on two hits in one and one-thirds innings of work before being relieved by Kristyn Smith. Smith lasted two and one-third, allowing one run and striking out four. Kimberly Robertson (2-4) earned the win in game one and made the start in the night cap, pitching a combined four and two-thirds innings while allowing four runs and striking out two. Smith threw four and one-thirds innings of scoreless relief in game two, allowing one hit and striking out five.
Game One: North Greenville 5, Tusculum 3
Tusculum opened the scoring on an RBI double by Phlyscia Powell in the third to take a 1-0 lead. North Greenville responded with three runs in the fifth, taking a 3-1 lead on a two-run triple by Wofford and an RBI single by Brewer. The Pioneers answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame, tying the score at 3-3 on two hits and two NGU errors. North Greenville reclaimed the lead with runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings to notch the hard-fought 5-3 win.
Game Two: Tusculum 5, North Greenville 1
The Pioneers broke open the night cap with five runs in the bottom of the second, taking an early 5-0 lead on a bases loaded walk by Ewing , a two-run single by MacDonald, and a two-run triple by Wilburn. North Greenville cut the margin to 5-1 with a run in the fifth, and threatened to continue the rally in the sixth and seventh frames before Johnson shut the door to preserve the 5-1 win.
Tusculum returns to the diamond on Friday when the Pioneers host Virginia-Wise in a non-conference doubleheader at 1 p.m. at Red Edmonds Field.
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