MARS HILL, N.C. --- Tusculum University softball and Mars Hill needed extra innings to decide the winner of each game in Sunday (Mar. 21) afternoon's doubleheader. The Lions walked off game one in the eighth inning, while the Pioneers survived the 11 innings needed in the nightcap.
Tusculum (10-10, 4-4 SAC) returns home to battle the Trojans of Anderson University on Wednesday, March 24. First pitch of the series is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Game 1: Mars Hill 5, Tusculum 4 (8 innings)
Mars Hill used the home run ball and a trio of RBI singles to escape past the rallying Pioneers, who scored all four of their runs in the final two innings.
The game started out as a pitcher's duel between Emily Sappington (4-3) and the Division II strikeout leader from Mars Hill, Marissa Adame. No runner reached third until the third.
Mars Hill scored first. A lead-off double and a sacrifice bunt put the first run of the day 60 feet away. A single to center with two outs did the trick.
The pitchers battled it out again until the sixth inning. The Lions notched two solo homers within the first three batters, extending the lead to 3-0.
Tusculum was down to its last three outs, wanting to avoid being swept. Mya Maddox drew a lead-off walk and an Anna Alloway fly out advanced her to second. Alexis Grampp stepped in for a single to center and the quick Maddox touched home. With two outs and down two, Chloe Freischmidt tied it up with a clutch homer over the centerfield wall.
Sappington shut down the Lions to send the game into extra innings as the ball never left the infield.
Kristen Gass was placed on second as the pinch runner for Sappington, in accordance with the international tie-breaker. Claire Smeltzer laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Gass over to third. Hayley Lazo was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. Madison Michael, TU's designated player, put her second collegiate hit to good use. A single to right field allowed Gass to score with ease.
Mars Hill bunted its runner over to third base and a single tied the game back at 4-all. The runner on first stole second and, with two outs, was driven in on a walk-off single.
Sappington finished with seven strikeouts and no walks, while Adame struck out eight with three walks and hit three Pioneers.
Game 2: Tusculum 4, Mars Hill 3 (11 innings)
The second game of the day ended up being similar to the first, needing 11 innings to determine the winner. Mars Hill, once again, used homers, but Tusculum walked away with the victory by using small-ball.
The Pioneers had Alloway on third with one out in the first inning, but failed to convert. In the home half of the inning, the Lions struck first with a two-out solo home run.
Mars Hill expanded its advantage to 2-0 with its fourth solo homer of the series.
The next 16 batters did not reach base in a combined shutdown by both pitchers.
Alloway broke through with a two-out double to right center. Grampp followed with a single up the middle to plate the runner. A clutch Freischmidt doubled in Grampp to tie the game.
Adame returned to silence the Pioneers' rally.
In the top of the seventh inning, Tusculum had the go-ahead run at third, but came up short.
The Pioneers were retired in order to start the eighth. Mars Hill nearly had a repeat of an eighth inning walk-off. The Lions managed to load the bases with one out. Brittney Franse made the heads-up play for a forced out at home and a line out ended the inning.
Both teams had runners at third in the ninth, but no one scored.
Smeltzer was placed on second base to start the 10th frame. Franse dropped a sacrifice bunt, advancing her to third. Maddox bunted for a single and Smeltzer scored. She and Alloway combined efforts to put two runners in scoring position, but no other run came home.
Mars Hill also moved its runner over on a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly tied the game once again.
In the 11th, the situation was repeated. Freischmidt advanced to third on a Kiley Longmire sacrifice bunt. Sappington, as the designated player, stepped in and knocked a single to left center for the lead.
Once again, the runner at second moved to third in the same manner. The Mars Hill batter drew a walk to put runners on the corners with one out. Sappington returned to shut down the Lions. A handful of pitches later, the Pioneer defense executed a double play to perfection, preserving the lead and earning the win.
Kaitlyn Pickens (3-3) collected the win after 10.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts. Sappington is credited with her first collegiate save.
