JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- The fifth-seeded Tusculum University softball team fell to the four-seed Carson-Newman on Friday (Apr. 25) in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament opening round.

Tusculum (37-16) will look to play two games Saturday (Apr. 25). Game two of the series is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start with the "if necessary" game following at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Carson-Newman hit four home runs to score eight of its runs. The Eagles hit a solo shot with two outs in the first. C-N added two more runs on another two-out homer in the fourth. Carson-Newman tacked on five runs on two homers in the fifth.

Tusculum got on the board in the fourth. Abby Hunter drew a two-out walk and Gabi Nicholson legged out an infield single. Ella Majchrzak plated Hunter on a RBI single to left.

TU continued to chip away with another clutch two-out hit. Danielle Jason raced out a single to the shortstop and stole second with two outs. Ellie Alvarez drew a four-pitch walk and Sammy Jimenez was plunked to load the bases. Hunter capitalized with a single back up the middle to score Jason and Alvarez.

The Pioneers continued their two-out work with home runs on consecutive pitches. Caylen Conrad hit her second homer in a span of a week, immediately followed by Jason's second career inside the park home run.

Carson-Newman led off the bottom of the sixth with a bunt single before lightning entered the area. After a nearly an hour-and-a-half weather delay, the Eagles scored on a bunt single and a pair of throwing errors. A sacrifice fly was the final blow.

Down 10-5, Jimenez doubled to right center, moving up to third on Hunter's single. The catcher scored on a Nicholson groundout to finalize the score.

Megan Ackerman (20-9) pitched 4.2 innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Natalie Spaitis tossed the final 1.1 frames, surrendering two runs (one earned) on three hits with a strikeout.