The South Atlantic Conference and AstroTurf Present Senior Spotlights Featuring Tusculum Lacrosse and Softball

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – In light of the recent events of the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled the remainder of the 2020 South Atlantic Conference spring sports seasons, the SAC along with its corporate partner AstroTurf, will be presenting the SAC AstroTurf Senior Spotlights. These highlights will showcase the spring sports teams at each of our 12 institutions and will give fans a brief overview of the team's shortened season, while highlighting the 2020 senior student-athletes on each team.

We continue our AstroTurf Senior Spotlights with the Tusculum University Pioneers and the men's and women's lacrosse teams and softball team.  

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

The Pioneer women's lacrosse team was on pace to easily surpass their victory total from the 2019 season, as Tusculum stood 3-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play when the 2020 campaign was halted. Two of Tusculum's three wins came by one-goal margins, a 16-15 win over Young Harris on Feb. 23 and a 12-11 victory at Newberry on March 7. The Pioneers also had a 20-6 win over NAIA tenth-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan on Feb. 17.

All six members of the Pioneers' senior class were key contributors to the squad -- attacker Bailey Lowery, midfielders Juliette Cusano, Brittany Lowery and Eliza Ryan, and defenders Linden Perkins and Hailey Sanders.

Cusano was among the SAC leaders with 24 goals in six games, and led the Pioneers with 28 draw controls, 13 caused turnovers and 10 free-position goals. Cusano, who had an active streak of 39 consecutive games with at least one goal, ranks second in program history with 138 goals, third with 157 points, second with 55 caused turnovers, second with 192 draw controls and fourth with 92 ground balls. The two-time second-team All-SAC honoree is the program career leader in game-winning goals (8), shot attempts (274) and free-position goals (50).

Bailey Lowery had one goal and four assists for five points so far this season, with six ground balls. She has 13 goals and 35 assists for 48 points in 49 career games, ranking her second in program history in career assists.

Brittany Lowery had two goals and two assists this season, with five ground balls and two caused turnovers. She has 35 goals and 14 assists for 49 points in 53 matches, placing her 11th in career goals, and has 52 ground balls, 46 draw controls and 23 caused turnovers in 53 career contests.

Ryan had two goals and one assist in six games this year and led the Pioneers with 18 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. In 54 career matches, which included 43 starts, Ryan had 28 goals and 13 assists for 41 points while ranking eighth in career ground balls (76) and seventh in caused turnovers (36).

Perkins appeared in all six games this season, picking up five ground balls to go along with a pair of caused turnovers. In 35 career appearances, Perkins has 26 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers. Sanders collected 12 ground balls in six matches this season, and in 46 career contests had 52 ground balls, 19 draw controls and 22 caused turnovers. 

2020 Pioneer Women's Lacrosse Seniors

MEN'S LACROSSE
The Pioneers ended the season with back-to-back victories to finish with a 4-3 record, including an 11-10 victory over Newberry in their SAC opener on March 7. Tusculum earned non-conference wins over Barton (14-8), Lees-McRae (19-5) and Quincy (24-1). 

Tusculum had nine seniors on their 2020 roster -- attackmen Liam Macdonald and Chris Vallette, midfielders AJ Hems, Campbell Holley and Trey Carney, defenders Joel Edgar, Quinn McKitrick and Jordan Mauro, and goalkeeper Ryan Pickering.

Macdonald broke the Tusculum career record for points in the final game of the season and holds the Pioneer career mark for both points (146) and assists (75) while ranking sixth with 71 goals. A second-team preseason All-SAC selection, Macdonald holds the single-game school record for assists (6) and the single-season assist record (37), while his 58 points in 2019 were second-most in Tusculum history.

McKitrick, an honorable mention All-SAC selection in 2019, ranks second in program history with 49 career caused turnovers to go along with 67 ground balls in 45 games. McKitrick shares the program single-game record with five caused turnovers, which he accomplished in both 2017 and 2020.

Edgar has been a four-year starter at long-stick midfield for the Pioneers and ranks third in program history with 155 ground balls and fourth with 44 caused turnovers. Edgar, who never missed a game in his career, has also contributed two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 49 games.

Carney and Holley are both four-year members of the Pioneer program. Carney appeared in 24 games and collected 14 ground balls and won 34 of 84 faceoffs. Holley made 20 career appearances for the Pioneers and had eight ground balls.

Hems was a member of the Pioneer squad for two seasons after transferring from Roberts Wesleyan. He scored 10 goals and had four assists for 14 points in seven matches this season, scoring five goals in the season opener at Barton to earn a spot on the USILA D2 Team of the Week. Hems tallied 23 goals and eight assists for 31 points in 21 games with the Pioneers.

Pickering played in two games this season, allowing five goals in 60 minutes while making 14 saves. He has appeared in 211 minutes across 11 career matches, with an 11.08 goals against average and a .519 save percentage on 42 saves.

Mauro did not play this season due to injury and has eight ground balls and two caused turnovers in 10 career contests.

Vallette, a first-year member of the program, had not appeared in any games this season.

2020 Pioneer Men's Lacrosse Seniors

SOFTBALL
The Tusculum softball team finished the 2020 season with a record of 15-7 overall, going 1-3 in SAC play. The Pioneers opened the year with a 13-2 record, the best start in program history. Anna Alloway and Chloe Freischmidt both earned SAC AstroTurf Player of the Week honors during the season, with Freischmidt being named Louisville Slugger /NFCA DII National Player of the Week on Feb. 26, the first-ever player in program history to earn the honor. 

Led by seniors Grayson Brown, Alexis Grampp, Taylor Johnson, Allison Pate, and Sammie West, the Pioneers were on pace to have a fantastic 2020 season.

Brown played in all 22 games at third base in 2020. She batted .297 with four doubles, five home runs, 16 runs scored and 20 RBIs. 

Grampp started all 22 games for the Pioneers at first base.  She compiled a .359 batting average with eight doubles, two triples, four home runs, 18 runs and 21 RBIs.

Johnson, the Pioneer short stop, started all 22 games batting .343 with three doubles, two home runs, 17 runs and eight RBIs. She finishes her career at Tusculum ranked in the top-10 in several statistical categories, including batting average (.338), doubles (36), home runs (18) and RBIs (104).

Pate made two appearances in the circle for the Pioneers in 2020, including one start. She earned a 1-0 record with a complete game, throwing six innings allowing four runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. In her career she made 54 appearances going 18-16 with a save and 14 complete games. She threw 211 innings striking out 121 batters with a 4.01 ERA.

West started all 22 games in the outfield for Tusculum in 2020 batting .338 with two doubles, three triples, 17 runs and 12 RBIs. She was also 9-for-9 on stolen bases. She closes out her career as a Pioneer ranked in the top-10 in multiple offensive categories, including triples (10), runs scored (106), walks (69) and on-base percentage (.411). 

2020 Pioneer Softball Seniors

AstroTurf is an official corporate partner of the South Atlantic Conference and title sponsor of the Conference's Player of the Week awards program.

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