GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Seniors Mackenzie Sherrod and Cassidy Bourne combined for 10 goals as Tusculum University defeated Emory & Henry University 23-6 in South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
On Senior Day, Sherrod scored a career-high six goals and Bourne matched her career high with eight points on four goals and four assists as the Pioneers (8-8, 4-6 SAC) outshot the Wasps (4-11, 0-10 SAC) by a 43-14 margin.
Elisha Stack had four goals and six assists for the Pioneers, with four goals from Zuza Stasiak and two goals and two assists from Kayla Nuccio. Sophia Didzbalis and Mya Halladay each had a goal and an assist and Liberty Jones added a goal for the Pioneers, who took the lead for good just 42 seconds into the game.
Mina Hicks had three goals to lead Emory & Henry, with a goal and an assist from Madison Stewart and one goal each from Whitney Holland and Justyce Jones. The Wasps were just 9-for-21 on clear attempts and turned the ball over 30 times, including 20 in the first half.
Halladay had a team-high four draw controls to become the program's single-season lead with 85, breaking a tie with Lucy Brewer (2024) for the new record.
Sherrod scored three goals in the first quarter and Stack assisted on three as the Pioneers built a 6-3 lead after one quarter. The Pioneers outscored the Wasps 8-1 in the second quarter, with two goals each from Sherrod and Bourne, to take a 14-4 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Bourne scored a pair of goals around two tallies from the Wasps' Hicks as the Pioneers went up 18-6. Tusculum would hold Emory & Henry without a shot in the fourth quarter, tacking on five more goals in the frame including two from Stack.
In addition to her four draw controls, Halladay had a team-high three caused turnovers for the Pioneers. Jessie Carolin-Vandenberg had three ground balls and two caused turnovers, with two caused turnovers for Kennedy Miesowitz. Jones led the Pioneers with four ground balls, with Natalie Harris leading the Wasps with four ground balls as well.
Tusculum had a 16-14 advantage in draw controls over Emory & Henry and a 27-16 edge in ground balls. The Pioneers were credited with 21 turnovers and were 17-for-23 on clears.
Emily White finished with six saves in goal for the Pioneers, with eight saves from Cyrianna Lee for the Wasps.
Tusculum will host UVA Wise in their regular-season finale on Wednesday, April 23 beginning at 4 p.m. at Pioneer Field. The Cavaliers are in sixth place in the SAC standings at 5-5, following up an 0-7 March with four straight wins in April including a 20-7 victory over Catawba on Saturday.
