GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team swept the series against the Southern Wesleyan Warriors on Tuesday afternoon, in a pair of pitching duels. The Pioneers shutout the visitors 2-0 in game one and a walk-off hit by Alexis Grampp gave Tusculum the 3-2 advantage in the nightcap.
The Pioneers (12-2) will open up South Atlantic Conference play on Tuesday (March 3) at UVa-Wise as their next scheduled doubleheader.
The two Tusculum pitchers (Ivee Richesin and Delilah Malczewski) combined for 11 strikeouts, nine hits, three walks, and only one earned run through 14 innings of action. Malczewski has yet to walk a batter in four appearances (16.1 innings) as a Pioneer.
Game 1: Tusculum 2, Southern Wesleyan 0
Richesin picked up her fifth win of the young season with a five-inning showing, allowing four hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. Malczewski also earned her first save as a Pioneers with two spotless innings.
Both Tusculum runs were scored in the fourth inning, in back-to-back plate appearances. Reigning SAC AstroTurf Player of the Week Chloe Freischmidt singled through the left side to set the stage. Sammie West sent her third triple of the year to right center, trading places with the sophomore catcher. Claire Crout grounded out to the shortstop, but it bought enough time for West to scamper home.
Malczewski struck out three of the six batters she faced to clinch the save and the shutout.
Game 2: Tusculum 3, Southern Wesleyan 2
Malczewski collected her first start in a Tusculum jersey and went the distance for her third win of the year. Grampp batted 3-for-4, including a solo homerun and the game-winning hit.
As the second batter in the game for the Pioneers, Grampp hit a moon-shot that barely stayed fair of the left field foul pole to put a tally in the Tusculum scoring column.
The next inning, Freischmidt singled up the middle, followed by a bunt single from West. Bree Whitson reached on a throwing error by the catcher, allowing Freischmidt to break for home plate and score the second Pioneer run.
Southern Wesleyan did not want to be shutout for the second time and used the last inning to tie the ball game at two. The catcher Megan New singled through the right side and Haley Bertie was used as her pinch runner. Ashton Martin doubled to right center and Bertie was speedy enough to score the Warriors' first run of the doubleheader. SeQuoia Wingfield pinch ran for Martin and advanced to third on a passed ball. Emma Jo Wolfe hit into a fielder's choice, but Wingfield managed to avoid the tag at the plate. This forced the Pioneers to bat in the bottom of the seventh.
Tori West led off the inning by drawing a walk and an Anna Alloway sacrifice bunt moved her to second. She advanced to third on a wild pitch. Grampp hit a ball over the right fielder's head, scoring West with a walk-off.
