GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team will look to continue its winning ways against a pair of South Carolina teams this week. The Pioneers will put rubber to the road on Tuesday (Mar. 29) to Anderson and stay home for Limestone on Saturday (Apr. 2).
RECAPPING THE WEEK
Tusculum (20-13, 7-5 SAC) upped its winning streak to seven after sweeping doubleheaders over Catawba and Coker in convincing fashion.
Anna Alloway's bat did big work this week as the designated player hit .692, slugged 1.231, and had an on-base percentage of .733. The graduate student belted nine hits, four doubles, and a three-run home run to drive in 12 runs. Alloway's homer was the 29th of her career, tying her for the program record. Hayley Lazo was plunked by three pitches, upping her number to 10 for the season and 15 for the career. Both figures put her in the top-3 all-time at Tusculum. Emily Sappington only had seven plate appearances across three games for a .714 average and 1.143 slugging mark. She notched five hits, including her first home run of the season, totaling five RBI.
In the circle, all three Pioneer pitchers picked up a win. Sappington went 2-0 on a 0.57 earned-run average with two complete games for a total of 12.1 innings. She needed only six strikeouts due to stalwart defense behind her. The lone earned run against her was a solo home run. Ireland Cavanaugh was 1-0 across 10.2 innings. She also struck out six, walking just one. Keylon Reynolds earned a win in two innings of relief, striking out three.
As a team, Tusculum is ranked across the top-50 nationally in hit by pitch (16th; 28), doubles (21st; 55), sacrifice flies (22nd; 11), stolen bases (28th; 61), fielding percentage (33rd; 0.968), double plays (35th; 10), hits (35th; 270), sacrifice bunts (37th; 23), triples (41st; 9), doubles per game (42nd; 1.67), stolen bases per game (47th; 1.85), and total runs (50th; 169).
Individually, Sappington is tied for second across Division II with 15 complete games, 17th in games started (16), and 19th with 117 strikeouts. Hayley Lazo is seventh after being hit by 10 pitches thus far for a per game average of 0.30, good for 29th nationally. Mya Maddox's 27 steals are eighth in DII. She also ranks 17th in stolen bases per game (0.82), 22nd in hit by pitch (8), and 48th in triples (3). Kiley Longmire is 28th in sacrifice flies (3), while Alloway and Chloe Freischmidt are ranked 29th (11) and 50th (10) in doubles, respectively.
LOOKING AHEAD
Anderson (25-5, 8-2 SAC), ranked 24th in last week's national poll, opens its week at home with Tusculum, followed by Newberry in a weekend series. The Trojans are 13-1 on their home turf, with the lone loss coming just over a month ago. Kayson Boatner is leading AU in nearly every offensive category: hits (44), doubles (16), homers (13), RBI (38), batting average (.419), and slugging percentage (.943). Jessica Neadow has scored the most runs with 35 and is tied with a team-best 16 alongside Hope Gullatt. Anderson has two primary pitchers: Laken Maxwell and Harlie Duncan. Maxwell is 14-3 with two saves on a 1.71 ERA across 106.2 innings, tossing 155 strikeouts to 31 walks. Duncan is 10-2 across 81 frames on a 2.42 ERA, collecting 77 strikeouts to 35 free-passes.
Limestone (23-11, 6-8 SAC) hosts UVA Wise on Tuesday before the trek to Tennessee on Saturday. Katie Wilbur and Ashley Parnell are the top-two offensive threats for the Saints. Wilbur is hitting .393 with 44 hits, 22 runs, five doubles, five homers, and 36 RBI. Meanwhile, Parnell is averaging .384 with 43 hits, 33 runs scored, nine doubles, two homers, 30 RBI, and 11 walks. Maddie Baker leads Limestone with 12 steals. Haley White has thrown the bulk of the inning for the Saints, recording a 12-3 mark through 90 innings on a 2.33 earned-run average. She has walked 26 batters compared to 86 strikeouts.
Links to live stats and video, when available, for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
