GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team will play at J.C. Red Edmonds Field once more this week, hosting North Greenville on Wednesday (Feb. 16). The Pioneers are set to hit the road for the weekend (Feb. 19-20) Raines Company Softball Classic, hosted by Francis Marion. TU will play Mercy, Bloomsburg, and the host Patriots twice.

RECAPPING THE WEEK
Tusculum (6-2) are on a four-game win streak as part of an 8-0 home stretch, dating back to last season.

Mya Maddox had an insane week at the plate, hitting .714 with an on-base percentage of .750 and slugging rate of .857. She notched 10 hits in 14 at bats with six runs, two walks, a triple, and a run batted in. The senior centerfielder also stole six bases, including three in one game, which ties her for the second-most in program history. Emily Sappington went 2-0 in the circle with a pair of complete game shutouts.

On the season, Maddox is averaging .440 at the plate, just ahead of Kiley Longmire's .409 rate. Both Maddox and Anna Alloway have tallied double-digit hits (11), including six extra base hits by the latter. Longmire and Katelynn Hodges are credited with a team-high seven RBI, while Claire Smeltzer has shown extreme patience to draw eight walks. Maddox is responsible for half of Tusculum's 16 stolen bases thus far.

In the circle, Sappington is 4-0, all complete games, with only three runs allowed all season for a 0.78 earned-run average. Across her 27.0 innings of work, the junior lefty has struck out 29, relenting 16 hits and 10 walks.

Nationally, Tusculum's four double plays is tied for 10th in Division II.

LOOKING AHEAD
North Greenville (1-7) has mainly played South Atlantic Conference teams to begin its season, going 1-5 against Tusculum's league foes. Three Crusaders are hitting on a .333 average: Lexis Wilkinson, Claire Gilmore, and Brianna McRae. All eight of Wilkinson's hits have been singles and leads the team with nine steals. Gilmore has three of NGU's four doubles on the season. McRae has the Crusaders' lone triple, 2-of-3 homers, and tied for the most walks with eight. North Greenville has three pitchers which have appeared in five games, led by Morgan Hatchell. Hatchell has two complete games, 15 strikeouts to seven walks, and a team-best 2.38 ERA. TU holds the slim 16-12 series lead over NGU.

Mercy (0-0) will open its season on Friday (Feb. 18) at the Raines Company Softball Classic at Francis Marion. Tusculum will be its third game of the weekend. The Mavericks went 17-14 last season and were the No. 4 seed in the East Coast Conference Tournament. Five all-conference performers are returning, highlighted by Alexis Crawford. She hit .391 with 23 runs, 43 hits, eight RBI, and 22 steals. Alexi Benson is the leading pitcher, coming back after a 9-4 record on a 2.30 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 88.1 innings. This will be the first-ever meeting between the programs.

Francis Marion (4-6) has played four series at home and continues its home-heavy, front-loaded schedule with the weekend tournament. The Patriots and Pioneers have faced two of the same opponents already this season: USC Aiken and Augusta. FMU went 1-3, while Tusculum split with both. Danielle Karacson is hitting .412 with 14 hits (six for extra bases), 11 runs, eight RBI, and three walks. Janecia Hemingway has thrown the most innings (29.1) and received the decision in every game in which she's appeared (1-5). Her team-best 3.10 ERA accompanies 13 earned runs, 25 strikeouts and 13 walks. The Patriots lead the series history 4-14-1, dating back to 1997.

Bloomsburg (0-0) will also kick off its 2022 at the Francis Marion event. The Huskies finished last season with an even 17-17 record, facing only its conference foes in the regular season. Bloomsburg is returning its top hitter in Sammi Starr. As a junior, Starr hit for a .424 average, led the team in total hits (50), runs scored (32), home runs (2) and was second in RBIs (21) and doubles (11). The Huskies only have one pitcher coming back. Savannah Doney made seven relief appearances, tossing 10.2 innings for a 1-0 mark and 3.94 ERA. Tusculum won both games in 2019 over Bloomsburg in the lone previous meeting between the programs.

Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.