Elizabeth Johnson escaped jams in the sixth and seventh innings to give Tusculum College a 3-1 victory over Carson-Newman and a split of their South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.

The Pioneers (20-13, 8-2 SAC), who dropped the opener 13-4 in six innings to the Eagles (22-12, 6-4 SAC), lead Lenoir-Rhyne and Anderson in the league standings by one game with eight conference games remaining. Tusculum will be on the road Friday at Catawba for a 1:00 doubleheader while Carson-Newman will host Newberry Friday afternoon.

Game 1: Carson-Newman 13, Tusculum 4 (6 innings)
(Box Score)

The Eagles let an early 4-0 lead slip away, then scored nine runs over the final four innings to defeat the Pioneers in the opener. Carson-Newman finished with 15 hits in the game, including a 4-for-4 performance from Bri Shoemake and two hits apiece from five other players.

Cassie Elliott and Bethany Davis hit home runs for the Eagles, with Davis' three-run shot in the sixth ending the game via run rule. Four players scored two runs in the contest for Carson-Newman and five players knocked in two or more runs in the win.

Lindsey Umberger went 3-for-3 with an RBI triple and a run scored for the Pioneers, who tallied eight hits as a team in the game. Four of the hits came during a three-run fourth inning that tied the game at 4-4.

Carson-Newman took a 3-0 lead in the first inning off Tusculum starter Kelly King thanks to four hits and two errors. Shoemake and Caitlyn Lance had RBI singles during the inning. The Eagles added a run in the second on a two-out RBI double by Shoemake to go on top 4-0.

In the top of the third, the Pioneers struck for a run against Carson-Newman starter Kaitie Sims. Leah Powell led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a bunt single by Miranda Beeler and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alix Kruel.

Tusculum tied the game with three runs in the top of the fourth. Kaytlin Stroinski was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Paige Sneed followed with a double to knock in Stroinski, and came around two pitches later on a triple to right by Umberger. Katie Brennan then came through with the tying single to knock in Umberger and square the contest at 4-4.

The deadlock was short-lived as Elliott hit the second pitch of the bottom of the fourth for a solo home run to give Carson-Newman a 5-4 lead. The Eagles scored two more runs in the inning on a two-out, two-run double by Sara Kelley to take a 7-4 lead over the Pioneers.

Elliott added a sacrifice fly in the fifth for an 8-4 Carson-Newman lead, and the Eagles put the game away with five runs in the sixth. Brittany Hefner and Lance had RBI singles, and Davis ended the game with a three-run home run to left.

Kelley and Lance were both 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored for the Eagles, while Davis was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Jessica Morgan and Kelly Hensley each scored two runs at the top of the Carson-Newman lineup.

Sims (13-2) allowed seven hits and four earned runs over four innings, but earned the win for the Eagles. Cassie Lyons came on in the fifth and tossed two scoreless innings of relief. King (10-5) surrendered 14 hits and 12 runs (nine earned) in 5 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and three walks for the Pioneers.

Game 2: Tusculum 3, Carson-Newman 1
(Box Score)

Johnson (8-8) gave up eight hits and lost her shutout in the seventh inning on an error, but closed out the game by getting a groundout with the bases loaded to salvage the split for the Pioneers. She walked one and struck out one in her ninth complete game of the season.

Tusculum scored all three of its runs in the third inning, and finished with 10 hits in the game. Sneed was 3-for-4 with a double while Nicole Ball was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Carolyn Williamson also had two hits and scored a run out of the leadoff spot in the lineup.

Both teams had numerous scoring opportunities in the game, but with the exception of the third inning, neither team was able to capitalize. Tusculum stranded 11 runners while Carson-Newman left 10 on base, including five over the final two innings.

The Pioneers took a 3-0 lead in the third against Lyons as Williamson led off with a single and Beeler reached on an error. After a groundout moved the runners up one base, Umberger singled up the middle to knock in both Williamson and Beeler with the game's first runs. After a single by Sneed advanced Umberger to third, Ball delivered a double to center to knock in Umberger with the third run of the inning.

Carson-Newman put runners at first and second with one out in the third, but Johnson got out of trouble as Ball turned a line drive to third into a double play to end the inning. The Eagles left runners at second and third in the fourth and had runners at first and third with one out in the fifth, but Sneed threw out a runner attempting to steal and Johnson got the final out on a grounder to preserve the 3-0 lead. In the sixth, Shoemake and Hefner led off with singles, but a fly ball, popup and grounder turned away the Eagles and sent the Pioneers to the seventh with a 3-0 advantage.

A single from Sims and a double by Elliott put runners at second and third with no outs in the seventh, and an error brought home the first run of the game for the Eagles. A liner to Umberger at short and a fly ball to left put runners at second and third with two outs, and Hefner was intentionally walked to load the bases for Lance. On a 2-2 pitch, she grounded into an unassisted forceout to Ball at third and the Pioneers had the victory.

Hefner was the only player with more than one hit for the Eagles, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Lyons (9-10) struck out three and walked three in a complete-game performance for Carson-Newman.