GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University softball faced Lock Haven for the first time in recorded history on Friday (Mar. 6) and defended Red Edmonds Field with a pair of one-run victories.
Tusculum (8-8) makes the quick turnaround to host Bluefield State on Saturday (Mar. 7) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
Game 1: Tusculum 1, Lock Haven 0 (8 innings)
Chelsey Stonesifer threw her third-straight shutout as the Pioneers eked out a 1-0 victory to begin the twinbilling.
Game one of the series was the epitome of a pitchers' duel as Ellie Alvarez broke up The Haven's perfect game bid with a two-out walk in the fourth.
Neither team had a runner stationed in scoring position until the Bald Eagles' half of the fifth.
Tusculum's first real chance came in the bottom of the seventh. Ella Majchrzak doubled with two outs, advancing to third on a passed ball. However, the game was sent to extras in a scoreless tie.
Lock Haven's international tiebreaker was bunted over on a sacrifice. A groundout to Majchrzak at third was the second out. A full-count groundout to Stonesifer gave the Pioneers the chance to walk it off in the bottom half of the inning.
Taylor Hancock was placed on second base as TU's international tiebreaker. With two outs, Kylie Darrow was at the plate. The Haven's pitcher threw an errant pitch to allow Hancock to advance to third. On ball four to Darrow, the pitch went wide again and the Bald Eagles were unable to apply the tag as Hancock dove head first into home for the winning run.
Stonesifer (6-3) threw all eight innings, allowing four hits and one walk with five strikeouts on 89 pitches.
Game 2: Tusculum 4, Lock Haven 3
TU held on to close out the series sweep over the Bald Eagles as the teams used a combined six pitchers in the finale.
The Pioneers scored a pair in the first to take the lead, which they would never relent. Abby Hunter singled to left but was called out on a fielder's choice by Majchrzak for the second out. Alvarez singled to right and Majchrzak hustled to third, which allowed Alvarez to sprint to second on the throw. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Hancock doubled down the left field line to put Tusculum ahead.
Alvarez led off the third inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a passed ball. She moved up 60 feet on an Ava Hallows groundout. She scored on Darrow's single to left center.
Tusculum tacked on its first run in the fourth. Izzy Wilson singled up the middle, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Majchrzak capitalized with a RBI single through the left side to plate Wilson.
The Lock Haven comeback began in the fifth with a three-run output. The inning began with a TU error, which came around to score on a double. A four-pitch walk put another runner on, with a flyout advancing both into scoring position. Another walk loaded the bases for the Bald Eagles with two outs. The following batter singled to left and two runs scored, but a perfect throw from Hunter to Majchrzak cut a runner down at third for the final out.
The Haven got two runners on in both the sixth and seventh but Tusculum held firm, holding the Bald Eagles off to complete the sweep.
Aleyia Satterfield (2-2) threw 4.1 frames in her start, allowing two unearned runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Natalie Spaitis finished out the inning with one run on one hit with a pair of walks. Catherine O'Donohue pitched the sixth inning with a walk and hit. Stonesifer (Sv., 2) earned her second save of the season with a seventh-inning shutdown, surrendering two hits, but struck out a pair.
