JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- Tusculum University softball went 2-0 on the first day of the Big Region Preseason Invitational hosted at Winged Deer Park. The Pioneers pulled off a comeback to down King, while holding off a late Converse push.
Tusculum (2-0) finishes out the event on Monday (Feb. 9) against Glenville State and Davis & Elkins at noon and 2 p.m., respectively.
Game 1: Tusculum 7, King 6
Tusculum scored six runs in the fourth inning to pull ahead of King in the season-opening win at the Big Region Preseason Invitational.
King got out to a 3-0 lead after two innings of action behind a two-run home run and back-to-back hits to lead off the second.
Tusculum made a dent in the Tornado advantage with a run in the third frame. Muriel Dillow was hit by a pitch and was bunted over by Katie Jones. Ava Hallows drew a walk and Brooke Smith was plunked to load the bases with one out. Ellie Alvarez launched a sacrifice fly to plate Dillow for her first career run.
King scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning, using a sacrifice fly and an error to go up 5-1 in the game.
The TU offense broke loose in the fourth, tallying six runs. Sammy Jimenez led off with a triple ahead of Ella Majchrzak's walk. Dillow drove in Jimenez on a single. Jones reached to start the two-out rally. Hallows and Smith singled to bring home a pair of runners. Alvarez went all the way to second on a throwing error to plate the two runners on base. Abby Cruz entered as a pinch-runner for Alvarez and came home on a Jimenez single in her second at bat of the inning.
King was able to get one run home in the fifth, despite a double play.
The Pioneers looked to tack on in the sixth with the base loaded once again, but were unable to follow through.
Catherine O'Donohue got the start and went two innings, allowing three runs on four hits. Aleyia Satterfield (1-0) picked up the win in her collegiate debut, tossing three innings with three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk. Chelsey Stonesifer earned her first career save with a shutout performance over the final two frames, including the staff's two strikeouts. Stonesifer retired all six batters faced.
Game 2: Tusculum 11, Converse 4
Majchrzak and Addison Hoffner drove in the majority of the Tusculum runs, while Alvarez went 4-for-5 at the plate. The Pioneers are now 14-0 all-time against Converse after the first day of the event.
TU scored in every odd inning. In the first, Hallows doubled in Alvarez with one out. Majchrzak plated Hallows, scoring on the play thanks to a pair of Converse errors.
In the third frame, Hoffner homered bringing in Majchrzak.
Stonesifer launched her first career home run to lead off the fifth. Two plays later, Taylor Hancock knocked in Darrow on a pinch-hit double.
The Pioneers scored four in the seventh to blow the lead open. Alvarez and Jimenez recorded back-to-back singles, bringing Majchrzak to the plate. She doubled in her teammates. Hoffner followed, switching places with Majchrzak with a double. With two outs, Abby Hunter singled Hoffner in from third.
Stonesifer (1-0) pitched four innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits with four strikeouts.
