The Tusculum College softball team used a pair of rallies to sweep a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader from visiting Lincoln Memorial University Wednesday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field. The Pioneers erased a 5-0 first-inning deficit in a 13-5 five-inning win in the opener, and scored three times in the bottom of the seventh and once in the eighth for a 9-8 victory over the Railsplitters in the nightcap.

The Pioneers (17-12, 5-1 SAC), who have won 11 of their last 12 games, are in a three-way tie with Lenoir-Rhyne and Mars Hill atop the conference standings. Tusculum will host Brevard in a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., while Lincoln Memorial (20-13, 3-5 SAC) visits Catawba on Saturday.

Game 1: Tusculum 13, Lincoln Memorial 5 (5 innings)
(Box Score)

The Pioneers spotted the Railsplitters a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning, then came roaring back with 13 unanswered runs to finish off the five-inning win.

Kaytlin Stroinski went 4-for-4 with five runs batted in and Nicole Ball was 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Pioneers, who struck for eight runs in the bottom of the second and added four more in the fifth to capture the victory.

Tusculum sent 12 batters to the plate during the second inning, scoring eight runs on seven hits and two walks. Stroinski and Ball each had a two-run double during the inning, which saw all of the Tusculum runs come with two outs.

Carolyn Williamson scored three runs for the Pioneers, who also received two runs apiece from Stroinski, Katie Brennan and Miranda Beeler. Beeler came through with the key at-bat of the second inning for the Pioneers, fouling off four two-strike pitches before delivering a bunt single to get the Pioneers on the scoreboard.

Amanda Snow and Cierra Mudd hit home runs during the five-run first inning for Lincoln Memorial, but the Railsplitters mustered just one hit over the final four frames against Tusculum relievers Leah Powell and Kelly King.

The Railsplitters saw Pioneer starter Elizabeth Johnson retire the first two batters of the game before Snow hit an opposite-field home run, her seventh of the year, to give LMU a quick 1-0 lead. Andrea Foster added a two-run double and Mudd slammed her fourth round-tripper of the season to chase Johnson and give the Railsplitters a 5-0 lead.

After Beeler's hit in the second off Railsplitter starter Samantha Smith cut the LMU lead to 5-1, Williamson followed with an RBI infield single to drive home Lindsey Umberger and make it a 5-2 game. Beeler then scored when the throw to second on a steal attempt by Williamson was mishandled, drawing the Pioneers within 5-3. After a walk to Alix Kruel, Stroinski doubled to left-center to knock home both runs and tie the game at 5-5.

Brennan then singled behind third base to drive home Stroinski and give Tusculum a 6-5 lead, and a walk to Paige Sneed was followed by a double to deep left by Ball that capped the rally and extended the Pioneer lead to 8-5.

Tusculum added a run in the third off reliever Snow as Williamson reached on a two-out error and scored on a single by Stroinski. In the fifth, Beeler and Williamson drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and were advanced on a bunt by Kruel. Stroinski followed with a two-run single to extend the Pioneer lead to 12-5, and later scored on an RBI single by Sneed. Ball then brought home the decisive run on a fielder's choice ground ball to short.

Powell (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief for the Pioneers, allowing one hit and striking out one. King came on in the third and worked out of a bases-loaded in the fourth on her way to earning the save, as she finished with four strikeouts in three innings of work.

Smith (14-6) gave up eight hits and eight earned runs in 1 2/3 innings for the Railsplitters, with Snow surrendering five hits and five runs (four earned) along with three walks in three innings of relief.

Game 2: Tusculum 9, Lincoln Memorial 8 (8 innings)
(Box Score)

Trailing 8-5 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Pioneers tied the game on a two-run home run by Ball and a two-out RBI double from Umberger, then won it in the eighth as Stroinski drew a bases-loaded walk with one out.

The Pioneers again fell behind to the Railsplitters in the first inning, and again put up a big inning to take the lead. Unlike the opener, Lincoln Memorial battled back with runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings to take an 8-5 lead before the Pioneers rallied yet again.

LMU led 8-5 with one out in the bottom of the seventh when Stroinski was hit by a pitch from Smith. Ball then followed with her second home run of the season to cut the margin to 8-7, and Sneed followed with a walk. After a groundout advanced pinch-runner Samantha Silver to second, Umberger hit a 2-2 pitch to deep center field for a double, bringing home Silver with the tying run.

The Railsplitters had runners at first and second with no outs in the top of the eighth, but King got out of the jam on a fielder's choice grounder, a fly out and another groundout. In the bottom of the eighth, Powell started the inning on second in the international tiebreaker and moved to third on a bunt single by Beeler. After Beeler stole second, Powell was cut down at the plate on a grounder to short by Williamson. Kruel then walked to load the bases for Stroinski, who watched a 3-2 pitch from Smith sail high and outside to force home Beeler with the game-winning run.

King started for the Pioneers and gave up a two-run home run to Snow with one out in the first inning, then watched as her teammates struck for five runs on six hits in the bottom of the first. With one out, Kruel tripled to right and Stroinski was hit by a pitch. Kruel then scored as a pickoff attempt sailed past her for an error to cut the deficit to 2-1. After a failed squeeze bunt resulted in out number two, Ball singled and scored on a double by Sneed to tie the game 2-2.

Snow relieved Smith and surrendered a single to Brennan and a double to Umberger which gave the Pioneers a 3-2 lead. Powell then deposited a single into right field to knock in Brennan and Umberger and extend the Pioneer lead to 5-2. Smith returned to the circle for the Railsplitters and induced a comebacker to end the inning.

LMU took advantage of a pair of Tusculum errors in the third to score three runs and tie the game at 5-5. The Railsplitters went ahead 6-5 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Laura Taricano, and scored twice more in the sixth against Johnson in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk to Foster and an RBI single from Mudd.

The Pioneers were outhit 13-12 in game two by the Railsplitters, but received two hits apiece from Kruel, Ball, Umberger and Beeler. Umberger, Powell and Ball each had two runs batted in for the Pioneers, while Kruel added two walks to reach base safely in four of her five trips to the plate.

Brianna Mulkey and Kirstin Toole each had three hits at the top of the lineup for Lincoln Memorial in the game, while Mudd added three hits from the seven spot in the order. Sarah Walz was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk in the nightcap for the Railsplitters.

King (9-4) pitched the first four innings and the final two frames for the Pioneers, allowing 10 hits and six runs (four earned) while walking four and striking out three. Smith (14-7) pitched the whole game other than a three-batter stint in the first inning and allowed seven earned runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out five.