TIGERVILLE, S.C. --- The Tusculum University softball team dropped a pair of tightly-contested games at North Greenville on Wednesday (Feb. 24) afternoon by scores of 1-0 and 6-5, respectively.
Up next for the Pioneers is the home and conference opener against Wingate, scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
Game 1: North Greenville 1, Tusculum 0
The first game of the day was a pitchers' duel, with the lone run coming in the bottom of the seventh in walk-off fashion. Chloe Freischmidt led the TU offense, going 2-for-2 with a walk.
Emily Sappington did not relent a hit in the circle for four consecutive innings (2nd-5th). On the flip side, Tusculum's first hit of the game was not until the third inning.
TU's best chance to score came in the top of the fifth. Claire Crout and Freischmidt drew back-to-back walks, while Mya Maddox dropped a bunt single to the pitcher to load the bases with two outs. However, the Pioneers were not able to convert.
The top of the seventh looked promising for Tusculum. Crout and Freischmidt once again sparked the action, this time with singles up the middle. Hayley Lazo perfectly executed a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners into scoring position. Yet, two straight outs halted the momentum.
A lead-off single for the Crusaders turned into two runners in scoring position after a bunt attempt by the next batter went awry for the Pioneer defense. An infield single bought the NGU offense enough time to sneak across the plate.
Sappington (1-2) pitched 6.1 innings in the loss, allowing six hits and one walk, while striking out seven batters. Due to the run being unearned, her ERA has dropped to 1.72 on the season.
Game 2: North Greenville 6, Tusculum 5 (12 innings)
The 12-inning affair marks the longest game in TU's NCAA Division II era, which began in 1998. Anna Alloway was the only Pioneer to record multiple hits in game two, finishing 2-for-5 with one run scored.
Tusculum came out with a vengeance, notching three runs to open the game. Maddox slapped a bunt to the pitcher for a single and an Alloway single moved her up a base. Claire Smeltzer was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Crout stepped in and singled through the right side to plate Maddox. Freischmidt followed up with a single up the middle to score Alloway and Smeltzer.
North Greenville responded with a run in the second and a two-run home run in the third to tie the nightcap.
The teams were deadlocked until the ninth inning when Tusculum broke through. Kristen Gass walked and a fielder's choice advanced her to second. She moved to third on a wild pitch. Freischmidt lined a sacrifice fly to pull ahead.
The Crusaders effectively played small-ball. A runner was placed on second due to the international tiebreaker and was bunted over to third. A bunt single gave her enough time to even the score.
Lazo was placed on second and Brittney France bunted her over to start the 10th. Alexis Grampp singled up the middle to plate Lazo.
NGU responded in kind with a run of its own. The runner was moved from second to third and an infield single scored her.
Tusculum had Alloway at third with one out in the 11th but failed to advance her any further. The Crusaders faced the exact same situation and the exact same fate.
Lazo laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Freischmidt to third but two consecutive outs to the shortstop put another zero on the scoreboard.
The Crusaders also put down a sacrifice bunt to start their 12th. NGU executed a squeeze bunt with the runner on third nearly halfway down the line to sneak in under the tag of Freischmidt for the win.
Keylon Reynolds is credited with her first career start, going two innings in which she allowed one earned run, three hits, and one strikeout. Delilah Malczewski came in for two innings of relief, relenting two earned runs on one hit, one walk, and one strikeout. In her second appearance of the season, Kaitlyn Pickens finished the contest and tossed 109 pitches through 7.1 innings, taking the loss after three unearned runs crossed the plate.
