GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University softball split its home-opening doubleheader with North Greenville on Thursday (Feb. 12), winning 9-1 in six innings before falling 8-2 in the nightcap.
Tusculum (3-3) hits the road for the Swamp Fox Sizzler, hosted by Francis Marion this weekend. On Saturday (Feb. 14), the Pioneers will face Ferris State at 2 p.m. and the No. 10 Patriots at 4 p.m. Tusculum and Francis Marion will play a doubleheader on Sunday (Feb. 15), weather permitting.
Game 1: Tusculum 9, North Greenville 1 (6 inns.)
Chelsey Stonesifer threw a gem in her home debut at Tusculum, while five Pioneers drove in the nine runs.
TU struck first in the contest in the opening frame. Sammy Jimenez drew a two-out walk, advancing to third on a Taylor Hancock single to right center. Jimenez jogged home on Ella Majchrzak's single.
Jimenez drove a pitch down the right field line for a triple with one out in the third inning. Hancock capitalized with another single to right.
North Greenville got on the board with a two-out solo home run in the top of the fourth.
Tusculum scored three times in the bottom half of the inning, including two unearned. With one out, Kylie Darrow reached on an infield error before Abby Hunter drew a walk. Katie Jones came in to pinch run for Darrow as Ellie Alvarez knocked a single back up the middle to plate her. Both Alvarez and Hunter advanced a bag on the throw to stand in scoring position. Addison Hoffner worked a pinch-hit walk with Brooke Smith re-entering to run. Jimenez belted a sacrifice fly to center to score Hunter, while the runners advanced on a throwing error. Hancock and Majchrzak tallied back-to-back walks for the final run of the inning.
The Pioneers put up another three-spot in the fifth. Stonesifer drew a lead-off walk with Andrea Davis pinch-running. Darrow was hit by a pitch and Hunter walked once again to load the bases with no outs. Alvarez singled down the left field line to score a pair. Smith reached on a fielder's choice and stole second to put two in scoring position with one out. Jimenez walked to load the bases as Hancock flew out to left for a sacrifice fly, scoring Hunter.
Tusculum run-ruled the Trailblazers, reaching the eight-run differential in the sixth inning. Stonesifer drew the Pioneers' 10th walk of the contest, bringing up Muriel Dillow as a pinch hitter. Dillow laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Stonesifer in scoring position. Hunter's lone hit of the opener, after a pair of walks, was a game-ending double.
Stonesifer (2-2) pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on two hits. She added seven strikeouts to five walks on 98 pitches.
Game 2: North Greenville 8, Tusculum 2
The Trailblazers used a pair of four-run innings, only two being earned, to rebound for the series split in Greeneville.
Tusculum scored first in the first once again. Smith was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball. Hancock reached on a dropped pop up as Smith raced home.
The next three innings remained scoreless until NGU broke through in the fifth. A two-out error by the Pioneers allowed a run to score and the inning to continue. The following batter hit a three-run homer.
TU cut into the deficit with a solo home run by Jimenez, the 27th of her career, putting her three shy of tying the program record.
The visitors blew the game open with an additional four runs in the seventh, using four hits and Tusculum's second error of the contest.
Catherine O'Donohue started the second game, going three scoreless innings. She allowed two hits with two walks and one strikeout. Aleyia Satterfield (1-1) was the pitcher of record, tossing three innings. She gave up four hits, four unearned runs, and struck out four. Natalie Spaitis got two outs, while relenting four runs (two earned) on four hits. Izzy Wilson made her pitching debut to get the lone batter she faced to groundout.
