GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Anderson University softball team bounced back from a 4th inning collapse dropping game 1 against South Atlantic Conference foe Tusculum, 12-4, while winning the nightcap, 9-1, to earn its first conference win of the season on Tuesday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field.
The Trojans (17-11, 1-3 SAC) responded with a 9-1 win over the Pioneers (13-9, 1-3 SAC) in six innings in game two to salvage the split of the twinbill.
Game 1: Tusculum 12, Anderson 4 (6 innings)
The Trojans jumped out to an early 4-0 lead scoring three in the first and a lone run in the second inning.
Tusculum's Emily Hester hit a grand slam during the Pioneers' 10-run fourth inning outburst and drove in a career-high six runs in the victory. Hester was 3-for-4 with an RBI single to open the scoring surge, and added a run-scoring double in the bottom of the sixth.
Tusculum's 10-run inning included six hits, two walks and a pair of Anderson errors as nine of the 10 runs were unearned.
Anderson went up 3-0 in the first on an RBI single by Joshlyn Martin, a run-scoring double from Mattie Hamilton and an RBI single by Morgan Charter. The Trojans added a run in the second as Martin collected her second RBI single of the afternoon.
Hamilton and Martin each finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and Meghan Majeski was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Duncan (9-4) gave up 10 runs (one earned) on six hits in four innings of work for the Trojans, with five walks and one strikeout. Boatner tossed 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two hits and two unearned runs.
Game 2: Anderson 9, Tusculum 1 (6 innings)
The Trojans returned the favor with the six-inning win in game two, as Boatner and Breanna Hagerty hit home runs and Kayla Pepper (8-7) struck out six and scattered three hits in the victory.
Anderson outhit Tusculum 10-3 in the nightcap and had six extra-base hits as a team.
The Trojans scored a run in the first without benefit of a hit as Kasey Grant walked with one out, stole second and went to third on a throwing error, and scored on a groundout by Martin.
The Pioneers evened the score in the bottom of the second as Grayson Brown doubled with one out and scored on a bloop single to right by Taylor Johnson.
Anderson took the lead for good in the fourth with three runs as Hamilton led off with a single and scored on Boatner's ninth home run of the season. Gracie Williams also drove in a run on a triple to the gap but was thrown out at the plate attempting to stretch into a home run.
In the fifth, Anderson added four more runs on an RBI triple by Martin, an RBI single by Hamilton, an RBI triple from Boatner and a groundout from Charter. The Trojans closed the scoring in the sixth on a leadoff home run from Hagerty, her second of the year.
Grant, Hamilton and Boatner all went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, with Boatner driving in three runs.
Anderson returns home to host SAC opponent Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 2 pm.
