GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Taylor Johnson went 4-for-6 on the day while Taylor Plemons pitched a four-hit shutout in the night-cap as the Tusculum University softball team swept a doubleheader against visiting University of Mount Olive Saturday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field.
Tusculum won the opener 10-2 in six innings and the second game 4-0 as the Pioneers improve to 3-1 on the season and are riding a three-game winning streak, while the Trojans slip to 3-5 on the year.
Game 1: Tusculum 10, Mount Olive 2 (6 innings)
The Pioneers jumped out to a 6-0 lead and got a two-run homer by Alexis Grampp in the sixth frame to end the contest as Tusculum prevailed 10-2. Grampp finished the game going 2-for-2 including her second home run of the young season. Anna Alloway added two hits including a double while TU starter Allison Pate went the distance to record her first win of 2019.
The Pioneers batted around in the first inning as TU posted five runs on four hits highlighted by a two-run double from rookie Grayson Brown.
Tusculum added a run in the bottom of the second before Mount Olive responded with a run in the third on an Eileen Barrerra infield single to drive in Cassandra Lassiter with the Trojans initial run.
The Pioneers got a two-out, two-run single from Brittney Franse to extend the lead to 8-1. After a Heather Childress RBI hit in the top of the sixth inning brought the Trojans to within 8-2, Tusculum's Sammie West got aboard on an error and Grampp ended it when she lined a missle-shot over the fence in left field.
Tusculum finished the game with nine hits while the Trojans committed five errors in the game. Pate scattered eight hits, allowed two runs, one walk and struck out three in her 90-pitch outing.
Game 2: Tusculum 4, Mount Olive 0
Taylor Plemons tossed her sixth shutout of her Tusculum career to lead the Pioneers to a 4-0 victory in the second game. Plemons scattered four hits, walked none and struck out three to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Plemons got 10 hits from her teammates, including Taylor Johnson's 3-for-3 performance including a two-run homer to left field in the third inning as the Pioneers led 3-0.
Tusculum added a run in the fifth on Emma Casey's pinch-hit sacrifice fly to provide the final margin of victory.
Of Tusculum's 10 hits, rookie Caitlyn Brinkley went 2-for-2, while senior Emily White added a pinch-hit single as the Pioneers completed the sweep.
Plemons six career shutouts are tied for seventh-most in Tusculum softball history along with Renee Rhinehart (1996-1998) and Megan DuBois (2006-2008).
Tusculum will host Converse College for a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. The start time for game was moved up one hour.
