CENTRAL, S.C. --- The Tusculum University softball team took the field for the first time in 330 days for a doubleheader at Southern Wesleyan. The Warriors started hot with a 7-1 game one win, but the Pioneers locked down for a 6-0 shutout of the home team.
Tusculum (1-1) is scheduled to host West Virginia State on Saturday (Feb. 6) at Red Edmonds Field as its next series. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
Game 1: Southern Wesleyan 7, Tusculum 1
Southern Wesleyan scored in four innings, including the first, leading wire-to-wire in the season opener. Claire Smeltzer impressed during her debut, going 2-for-3 with a double. Emily Sappington is responsible for the lone run on a RBI fielder's choice.
The Warriors struck in the bottom of the first with a solo home run to right centerfield.
Two runs crossed the plate in the third. With the bases loaded and two outs, a single down the right field line plated two. The runner from second attempted to advance, but an Anna Alloway-to-Hannah Hughes-to-Kiley Longmire relay beat the greedy Warrior for the third out.
A three-run homer extended the damage to 6-0 in the fourth, while a RBI single in the sixth brought SWU lead to seven.
Tusculum's lone run was courtesy of a Sappington pinch hit fielder's choice, her first plate appearance as a Pioneer. Smeltzer doubled through the left side, followed by a single up the middle by Chloe Freischmidt. Kaylee Higgins pinch ran for Smeltzer and is credited for the score.
Delilah Malczewski (0-1) pitched three innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits, two walks, and a pair of strikeouts. In her Tusculum debut, Kaitlyn Pickens threw 2.1 innings with four earned runs and seven hits and one strikeout. Keylon Reynolds saw her first collegiate action, striking out the only two batters she faced.
Game 2: Tusculum 6, Southern Wesleyan 0
The nightcap was all TU, using an overall team effort to shutout the Warriors. Savannah Foster had a stellar outing in the circle, while Alloway (3-for-4, RBI, 2 2B), Alexis Grampp (1-for-2, HR, 2R, 3 RBI), and Sappington (2-for-3, 2B, BB, R) found their rhythm at the plate.
In the first inning, Grampp was plunked by a pitch. Alloway proceeded to hit one of her two doubles in the contest to score the first baseman.
Transfer Mya Maddox reached first on an error by the SWU pitcher with two outs in the second frame. Grampp smacked the first TU homer of the season to left field, widening the Pioneer lead to three.
Doubles by Sappington, Freischmidt, and Claire Crout highlighted the third inning by plating a pair.
The final run of the game was via a Grampp sacrifice fly, which allowed Crout to scamper home.
Foster's first action at Tusculum was a four-hit complete game shutout. The senior struck out eight batters to go along with two walks.
