AIKEN, S.C. --- The Tusculum University softball team teed off its 2022 campaign by halving a doubleheader at USC Aiken on Saturday (Feb. 5).

Tusculum (1-0) continues its road trip on Sunday (Feb. 6) against the newly-named opponent Augusta. The two-game tilt is scheduled for noon in Georgia.

Game 1: Tusculum 7, USC Aiken 2
Kallyn Newport went 2-for-2 with a walk in her TU debut, as Claire Smeltzer and Hannah Hughes also notched a pair of hits.

Tusculum got in the scoring column fast. Mya Maddox led off the contest and was hit by the fourth pitch she saw. She quickly stole second while Chloe Freischmidt was at the plate. The catcher grounded out to the shortstop, but the speedy Maddox advanced to third and scored on a throwing error by the USC Aiken first baseman.

The Pacers responded nearly as quickly. The second batter walked on four pitches and was followed by a run-scoring double.

Hannah Hughes, starting at shortstop for the Pioneers, launched her first collegiate home run, on a full count, to put Tusculum back in front.

USC Aiken threatened in the second and fourth, but could not cross the plate.

TU stretched the lead to three in the fifth courtesy of a two-run shot by Freischmidt over the left field wall, scoring Maddox.

The Pioneers plated three in the sixth to widen the gap. Smeltzer knocked an infield single on the first pitch she saw. Hughes advanced her 60 feet on her single down the left field line. Katelynn Hodges' first hit at TU was a double to score Smeltzer. After a pitching change, Newport drew a four-pitch walk to bring up Kiley Longmire. The third baseman singled to center field, allowing both Hodges and Hughes to score.

USC Aiken scraped across a run in the final frame, but the deficit was too great.

Emily Sappington (1-0) went the distance in the 2022 opener. The junior left-hander tossed 122 pitches, allowing two earned runs, eight hits, and three walks, but also struck out eight Pacers.

Game 2: USC Aiken 6, Tusculum 5
Longmire belted her first homer at TU as part of a three-run inning in the second half of the day's doubleheader. Four Pioneers collected multiple hits, with Anna Alloway going 3-for-4 in the nightcap.

Once again, both teams scored in the opening frame. Freischmidt and Alloway knocked back-to-back doubles and Smeltzer reached on an error. With the bases loaded, Hodges waited out a walk to bring in a run.

The Pacers scored an unearned run in the bottom half of the inning.

Tusculum took back the lead in the second. Longmire singled to left and moved over a bag on a Maddox sacrifice bunt. She advanced again on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.

The contest became tied at 2-2 in the third on a RBI double.

Longmire's longball led to three runs added to TU's line. After the homer, Freischmidt singled and Alloway doubled to put a pair in scoring position. Smeltzer went opposite field for a single, allowing the runners to cross the plate.

USC Aiken scored two in the fourth and two more in the fifth to come from behind and steal a Saturday split with Tusculum.

Keylon Reynolds got the nod to start game two. The sophomore went 3.1 innings with three strikeouts, relenting three earned runs, seven hits, and one walk on 63 pitches. Kendall Durard (0-1) came in in relief and collected the decision. A graduate student, she tossed 47 pitches for five strikeouts, two earned runs, and one hit.