GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team split the battle for first place in the South Atlantic Conference standings with the Wingate Bulldogs on Saturday (Mar. 22).

Tusculum (30-4, 9-3 SAC) is set to host nearby Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday (Mar. 26) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

Game 1: #17 Tusculum 4, Wingate 2
Danielle Jason and Ellie Alvarez went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Gabi Nicholson drove in two runs for the Pioneer offense.

Tusculum took the early lead with a two-run bottom of the first inning. Jason and Brooke Smith each bunted for a single and advanced 60 feet on a throwing error by the Wingate defense. With one out, Sammy Jimenez drew a nine-pitch walk to load the bases for Nicholson. Nicholson belted a single to right field to score two teammates.

The Bulldogs cut the advantage in half with a two-out run in the second.

TU tacked on a run in the fifth. Jason bunted for a single and moved up on Smith's sacrifice bunt. Alvarez switched places with Jason on a RBI double to center.

Wingate cut the lead back to one with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

The Pioneers added an insurance run in the home half of the frame. Megan Ackerman led off with a single, followed by back-to-back walks from Ella Majchrzak and Addison Hoffner to load the bases with no outs. Abby Hunter hit a fly ball to the outfield, but the defender dropped it, allowing Ackerman to come home.

The Bulldogs had the go-ahead run at the plate in the seventh. After a pair of singles put runners on the corners, Smith caught a foul popup to end the game.

Megan Ackerman (14-2) picked up the complete game win. She allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Game 2: Wingate 9, #17 Tusculum 4
Hunter crushed her first home run of the season and accounted for all three TU RBI in game two. Wingate handed Tusculum its first home loss of 2025 after winning the first 17 games at Red Edmonds Field.

The Bulldogs got out to 2-0 lead with a RBI double in the first and an unearned run in the second.

Hunter's two-run shot tied the game in the second inning. Ackerman singled back up the middle and moved to second on a passed ball. With two outs, Hunter took the second pitch over the left field fence.

Wingate retook the edge for good with its own two-run homer in the fifth.

The visitors added five more runs in the sixth via five hits, four of which were for extra bases.

Tusculum lessened the deficit with two tallies in the bottom of the sixth. Jimenez singled up the middle to lead off and Ackerman drew a walk, with Katie Jones coming in to run. Jimenez and Jones advanced on back-to-back wild pitches, scoring the former. Majchrzak walked and Hunter drove in Jones with a two-out single to center.

Natalie Spaitis (6-1) was tagged with her first loss of 2025 in the nightcap. She surrendered four runs (three earned) on six hits with three walks and one strikeout across five innings. Dani Beckham pitched the final two frames, relenting five runs on six hits.