WINGATE, N.C. --- Chelsey Stonesifer pitches Tusculum softball to a split at Wingate with her fourth shutout of the season on Saturday (Mar. 28).
Tusculum (12-18, 2-8 SAC) makes the short trip to Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday (Mar. 31) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
Game 1: Tusculum 2, Wingate 0
The Pioneers are the fourth team to shutout the Bulldogs this season and only the second conference foe to do so in 2026.
The series opener was a pitcher's duel between Chelsey Stonesifer and Jillian Thomas as no runs were scored until the sixth inning against Wingate's relief pitching.
Tusculum had at least one base runner in each inning, but didn't capitalize until the sixth. Stonesifer helped her cause with a leadoff double in the frame. She was bunted over by Addison Hoffner in her return behind the plate. Katie Jones and Abby Hunter drew back-to-back walks with two outs. Muriel Dillow was plunked on the first pitch of her at bat to plate Stonesifer as the eventual winning run.
The Pioneers added an insurance run in the seventh. Ella Majchrzak worked a nine-pitch walk to kick off the inning, including four foul balls. Lily Kate Cariaco pinch ran for Majchrzak ahead of Ava Hallows bunt single. After two-straight outs, Andrea Davis singled to center for her second career RBI as Cariaco raced home.
Stonesifer (10-6) allowed just four hits in seven innings with one walk and seven strikeouts on 99 pitches.
Game 2: Wingate 12, Tusculum 4 (6 innings)
The Bulldogs rallied for a series split against the Pioneers on a run-rule game two.
Ella Majchrzak drew a two-out walk in the first ahead of Hoffner's infield single. She came around to score on a Hallows single to right center.
Wingate plated four in the first to pull ahead for the first time in the twinbill. The Bulldogs used five singles and a walk to do the damage.
TU evened the score with a three-run second inning. Jones singled through the left side and advanced to second on a passed ball. Izzy Wilson singled up the middle to score Jones from second, but was out on a Hunter fielder's choice play. Dillow and Hunter were safe on an infield hit and advanced on an Ellie Alvarez groundout. Majchrzak singled back up the middle to score both speedsters.
The Bulldogs pulled ahead for good in the third inning after a solo home run followed by three-straight singles.
Wingate tacked on two more in the fourth and ended the game early with three runs in the sixth to enforce the run-rule, highlighted by a two-run homer as the clincher.
Dani Beckham (0-2) was tabbed as the starter for the first time this season in the nightcap. She went 2.2 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout. Aleyia Satterfield entered in relief for the first time in over a month to toss the final three frames. The freshman relented six runs (three earned) on eight hits with a walk.
