GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Emily Hester doubled, homered and drove in four runs as Tusculum defeated Goldey-Beacom 9-0 in six innings in the opening game of the Pioneer Classic Friday morning at Red Edmonds Field.
The Pioneers (11-8) had four multiple-run innings and had seven of their eight hits go for extra bases against the Lightning (0-1), while Allison Pate and Ivee Richesin combined for a three-hit shutout.
Playing as the visiting team, the Pioneers struck for two runs in the top of the first inning against Lightning starter Kylie Doyle (0-1). Delaney Guerrero reached on an error with one out and came around to score on a double by Anna Alloway for a quick 1-0 Tusculum lead. Taylor Johnson was safe on another error and was driven home on a two-out double by Hester.
In the second, the Pioneers tacked on two more runs to take a 4-0 lead. Brittney Franse led off the inning with a triple, and Morgan Mahaffey reached on a fielder's choice and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. A sacrifice fly by Emma Casey brought home Franse for a 3-0 lead, and Mahaffey scored on a wild pitch for Tusculum's fourth run.
The Pioneers built their lead to 7-0 in the third as Alloway doubled for the second time in the game and moved to third on a single by Johnson. After a stolen base by pinch-runner Courtney Gibson, Hester unloaded her second home run of the season over the fence in left.
Pate did not allow a hit until the third, when she gave up a two-out infield single to Zoe Lockwood following a leadoff walk. Richesin started the fourth and allowed a leadoff double to Rachel Davis, but retired nine of the final 10 batters she faced.
After being stymied by Goldey-Beacom reliever Taylor Beres for three innings, Tusculum tacked on two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Mahaffey doubled with one out and Marissa Henson drew a pinch-walk to put runners at the corners. Pinch-hitter Brittany Fletcher brought home a run with a fielder's choice grounder, and Guerrero drove in Fletcher with a double.
Richesin (1-0) allowed two hits and struck out two in three scoreless innings for the Pioneers, after Pate yielded one hit and two walks in three innings. Doyle gave up seven runs (five earned) and allowed six hits in two-plus innings for Goldey-Beacom, followed by Beres who yielded two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out two.
Hester finished 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored along with her season-high four runs batted in, while Alloway was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Pioneers. Lockwood went 1-for-2 with a walk for the Lightning in three trips to the plate.
