WISE, Va. --- Tusculum University softball suffered its second-straight South Atlantic Conference series setback after a pair of losses to UVA Wise on Saturday (Mar. 21).
Tusculum (11-15, 1-5 SAC) hosts nationally-ranked Carson-Newman in a rivalry billing on Tuesday (Mar. 24) at 1 p.m. This is scheduled to be the Pioneers' first home series since March 7.
Game 1: UVA Wise 4, Tusculum 2
The Cavaliers picked up their 20th win of the season on a complete game effort from Chloe Murphy. Two of the Pioneers' three hits resulted in a run scoring.
UVA Wise got on the board in the first with a two-out solo home run.
TU responded with a run of its own in the top of the second. Chelsey Stonesifer helped her cause with a leadoff double to left center. She was bunted over by Taylor Hancock and driven in on a RBI double from Ava Hallows.
The Cavaliers scored two in the bottom of the fourth, including the eventual game-winner. A leadoff walk came around to score after a steal and a RBI single. A pair of singles sent another runner home.
UVA Wise tacked on an insurance run in the fifth on consecutive hits.
Stonesifer hit a two-out solo homer on the first pitch she saw to finalize the score.
Stonesifer (9-5) went five innings, allowing four runs on six hits with three walks and one strikeout. Dani Beckham pitched an inning in relief, relenting a hit on eight pitches.
Game 2: UVA Wise 10, Tusculum 8
The teams combined for 26 hits and seven errors, but the Cavaliers came away with the sweep after another big fourth inning.
Tusculum went to work early in game two, tallying three runs on three hits with three errors in the opening frame. Ellie Alvarez doubled to right field to bring up Ella Majchrzak. She reached on a fielder's choice to the pitcher and the runners advanced to scoring position on a throwing error. Hallows singled to left and moved up to second on an outfield miscue, with both Alvarez and Majchrzak scoring. Taylor Hancock drew a full-count walk ahead of Kylie Darrow's at bat. She reached on a fielder's choice, with Hancock out at second, but Hallows scored from second after a throwing error.
UVA Wise got a pair of runs back in the bottom half of the inning. After three-straight walks drawn, the Cavaliers scored on a groundout and a RBI single before a double play ended the frame.
TU added to its lead in the second. Abby Cruz's first collegiate hit was a single up the middle with another Alvarez double putting two runners in scoring position with one out. Majchrzak belted her first home run of the season to put the Pioneers up 6-2.
The Cavaliers got all three runs back in the home half of the second on five hits, including a pair of doubles.
The Pioneers got a little more breathing room in the third. Izzy Wilson hit a single back up the middle to lead off the frame and was bunted over by Abby Hunter. Wilson moved up to third on a Cruz groundout and scored on a single by Alvarez.
Tusculum's final run came in the fourth. Hancock legged out a single to the shortstop and stole second. She advanced to third on Darrow's single to the outfield and scored on a Katie Jones groundout.
UVA Wise pulled ahead with a four-run fourth. The Cavaliers used five hits and used several wild pitches to their advantage.
An inside the park home run in the fifth was the final nail in UVA Wise's sweep.
Aleyia Satterfield (2-7) was tagged with the loss. She totaled two innings of work, allowing six runs on six hits with four walks. Beckham tossed another 1.1 innings on the day, surrendering three runs on four hits. Stonesifer also worked in game two and got the final two outs of the fourth with one hit and three wild pitches on 14 tosses. Wilson made her first appearance in the circle in nearly a month after taking over duties as the primary shortstop. She pitched the final two frames for one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.
