GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team fell twice in a low-scoring series to the No. 19 Wingate Bulldogs on Sunday (Mar. 26). The Pioneers have now been involved in 10-straight doubleheader sweeps, five in each direction.
Tusculum (17-18, 4-10 SAC) wraps up the month with a series against Anderson (22-12, 7-7 SAC) at Red Edmonds Field on Wednesday (Mar. 29). The twin bill is set for a 2 p.m. start.
Game 1: #19 Wingate 4, Tusculum 3 (8 innings)
The Pioneers forced extra innings with a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bulldogs won the eighth 2-1.
Kallyn Newport took the first pitch she saw and drove it to center field for a double. Sammy Jimenez flew out down the right field line, allowing Newport to advance. The throw into third went awry and Newport was able to score the day's first run. With two outs, Emily Sappington launched a double to straight-away center, needing an extra foot for a solo home run.
Wingate took the lead in the third with a two-run homer to left center.
The Wingate pitchers retired the next 14 Pioneers in a row, spanning the first to the sixth inning, ending with a pair of hit batters.
Hayley Lazo singled to lead off the seventh inning as TU was down 2-1. Italia Kyle entered to pinch run, advancing to second on Chloe Freischmidt's sacrifice bunt. Hannah Hughes doubled to right, scoring Kyle, before moving up to third on a throwing error. Hughes was 60 feet from being the winning run with one out, but back-to-back groundouts sent the game to extras.
With the international tiebreaker in effect, Wingate scored the runner from second with a double. The Bulldog's also scored the leadoff batter after a groundout and a sacrifice fly.
Needing at least two runs to continue game one, Tusculum also plated the runner from second (Katelynn Hodges) after Newport notched a leadoff single to center. Wingate switched pitchers ahead of a sacrifice bunt from Jimenez. With Newport at second with one out, the Pioneers were unable to advance her as the final two batters struck out.
Sappington (7-9) was tagged with the complete game loss, pitching all eight innings on 120 pitches. She allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Game 2: #19 Wingate 4, Tusculum 0
Tusculum strung together four hits in game two of the day but struck out 11 times at the plate. Wingate also took advantage of a defensive error to score two unearned runs for insurance.
The Pioneers struck out four times to start the latter game before Madison Watts broke up the streak with a single. Wingate's pitcher retired 12-straight Pioneers after Watts' hit. Hodges singled down the third base line in the sixth.
The Bulldogs scored their first runs in the fourth inning after getting at least one runner on in the previous three frames. Wingate used a two-run double to plate the eventual winning runs.
WU added on its two unearned runs in the fifth. A leadoff walk was followed by a sacrifice bunt and a fly out before the game went haywire. Attempting to get the third out on the ground, Lazo was ruled off the bag after a slightly wide throw to her at first. The Bulldogs were able to score, followed by a RBI triple.
Tusculum's best opportunity to avoid the shutout was in the seventh. Claire Smeltzer hit a leadoff single, with Kyle coming in to run as Freischmidt came off the bench to hit. A fly ball turned into a fielder's choice as the ball was dropped and the runner was thrown out at second. Alyssa Suits came in to run and, with two outs, Hughes notched a single through the left side. However, Wingate closed the door with a strikeout.
Keylon Reynolds (3-3) had the start in the circle, tossing three innings. She surrendered one run on three hits with a pair of walks and strikeouts. Ireland Cavanaugh pitched the remainder of the contest, relenting three runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks, and a single strikeout.
