
Posted: Mar 16, 2015
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College
softball team swept a doubleheader against visiting King University
on Monday evening at Red Edmonds Field. TC used a 10-run fourth
inning to help defeat the Tornado 13-2 in the first contest, while
Eliza Davis pitched a one-hitter in Tusculum's 2-0 victory in the
second game.
The Pioneers pushed their record over .500 at 11-9 overall,
while the Tornado fall to 3-11 this season. Tusculum will return to
South Atlantic Conference action on Wednesday when they play host
to Lincoln Memorial University. First pitch in the twinbill is set
for 2 p.m. at Edmonds Field.
Game 1: Tusculum 13, King 2 (5) (Box
Score)
Tusculum pushed across 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth
inning to defeat the visiting King University Tornado in the first
game of the doubleheader.
Holding a 3-0 lead at the start of fourth inning, TC loaded
the bases on two walks and a base knock off King starter Morgan
Lowe (3-4). Lowe walked Kaytlin Stroinski with the bases loaded for
the first run of the inning before Carolyn Williamson stepped up to
the plate. Williamson drove in two runs on a single through the
right side. During the play, Tornado catcher Hannah Smith tried to
throw out Stroinski at third, but the ball sailed into left field
allowing Stroinski and Williamson to score on the error.
After the first five runs of the frame, Cayla Cecil, Nicole
Ball, and Alix Kruel all recorded RBI doubles. Stroinski and
Treslyn Reese also drove-in runs with base knocks.
Tusculum starter Rachel Medley (4-5) earned the win after
scattering five hits and just two earned runs with a strikeout in
five innings of work. Lowe took the loss after allowing all 13 runs
on 14 hits with five walks.
Williamson finished 4-for-4 at the plate, while Stroinski was
3-for-3. Cecil and Ball were both 2-for-3, while Rhodes drew two
walks and had a hit.
TC pushed across an early run in the first after Stroinski led
off the inning with a double, and later scored on an RBI groundout
by Bailey Culler. The Pioneers stretched the advantage to 3-0 with
a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Stroinski once again led
off the inning with a base knock and eventually scored on an RBI
groundout by Jenna Restivo. Rhodes drove in the third run with a
groundout that scored Williamson.
King put two runs on the board in the top of the fifth on RBI
groundouts by Tori McComas and Stephanie Rodriguez. Diamond
Callwood led the Tornado with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate while
scoring a run.
Game 2: Tusculum 2, King 0 (Box
Score)
Davis struck out four batters and took a perfect-game bid late
into the sixth inning in the Pioneers' 2-0 victory over King that
completed the doubleheader sweep.
Davis (6-3) sat down 17-straight Tornado Batters before Amber
Palmer tripled to left field with two outs in the top of the sixth.
Holding a 1-0 lead at the time, Davis induced a groundout by
Rodriguez to end the only Tornado threat in the game. Lauren Smith
(0-2) was dealt the loss despite only giving up just one earned run
on seven hits.
Stroinski was 2-for-3 at the plate including a triple, while
Cecil also had two base hits, one of them going for a double.
Rhodes was also 2-for-3 from the dish.
TC struck first with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Cecil
led off the frame with an infield single, and advanced to second on
a sacrifice bunt by Restivo. Cecil came in to score on a fielding
error by King third baseman McComas when a sharply hit ball by
Rhodes went through her legs into left field.
The Pioneers added an insurance run in the bottom of the
sixth. Cecil had a leadoff double, and advanced to third on a
sacrifice bunt by Taylor Lewis. Culler singled home Cecil in the
next at bat with a hit to left field. Davis struck out Callwood and
induced two Tornado flyouts in the top of the seventh to seal the
Pioneer win.