JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- Alyssa Barbrick homered twice and recorded six RBI on the day to lead the undefeated Tusculum University softball team to a pair of wins Sunday to wrap up play at the Big Region Preseason Invitational hosted at Winged Deer Park. TU's 8-0 start is the best kickoff to a season in recorded program history.
Tusculum (8-0) makes its first trip outside of Tennessee this upcoming week, facing Emmanuel on Wednesday (Feb. 12) for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
Game 1: Tusculum 10, Converse 2 (6 innings)
Danielle Jason and Brooke Smith each recorded three hits while Barbrick's three-run homer highlighted a 5-run first inning as Tusculum defeated Converse 10-2 in six innings.
The Pioneers totaled 10 hits and accounted for five stolen bases including two each by Jason and Smith.
The pitching duo of Dani Beckham and Natalie Spaitis limited the Valkyries to two runs on eight hits with one walk and combined for eight strikeouts. Spaitis (3-0) picked up the win in relief as she threw the final 3.1 innings, scattering four hits, allowing one run and struck out five batters.
In the bottom of the first, Smith reached on a single and stole second. Ellie Alvarez drew a walk and both would move up a base on a wild pitch. Another errant pitch brought home Smith with the game's first run. Sammy Jimenez walked and Ella Majchrzak followed with a RBI single down the left field line to make it a 2-0 game. Barbrick put a bow on the inning with her three-run blast to left field to extend the lead to 5-0.
Tusculum scored a run in each of the next three innings. In the second frame, Jason reached on a one-out double and Smith brought her home with a two-bagger herself for a 6-0 TU lead.
Converse scratched out a run in the top of the third, but Tusculum got the run back, taking advantage of a walk and an error as TU led 7-1. In the fourth, Jason led off with an infield hit, stole second and scored on Smith's RBI single as Tusculum led 8-1.
After the Valkyries plated a run in the top of the sixth, Tusculum would end the game on run-rule as Alvarez hit a one-out single and Gabi Nicholson ended the contest on a RBI triple as the Pioneers won 10-2.
Game 2: Tusculum 13, King 0
Eight different Pioneers recorded a base hit, while pitcher Nyah Vogel tossed a six-hit shutout as Tusculum blanked King 13-0.
TU finished the game with 11 hits as Jason, Smith and Barbrick each had multiple-hit performances.
Like the Converse game, Tusculum scored five times in its first at-bat highlighted by Megan Ackerman's grand slam.
Tusculum would score once in the third, another in the sixth and exploded for six runs in the seventh.
In the top of the first, Jason led off the game with a double down the left field line. She would move to third on a wild pitch, but King would record two quick outs on a line out and a force out at first on a bunt attempt. Nicholson and Jimenez drew walks to load the bases. Majchrzak drove in the first run of the game with the third straight walk of the inning. Ackerman would follow with her bases clearing blast over the center field fence as TU went up 5-0.
Tusculum made it 6-0 with a run in the third and Barbrick belted her second homer of the day, a solo blast in the sixth to extend the lead to 7-0. It was her third home run in as many games.
The Pioneers erupted for six runs in the seventh as 10 batters went to the plate and scored six times thanks to six hits including a two-run double by Barbrick and a two-run slap single by Jason.
Vogel (1-0) scattered six hits, allowed zero walks and struck out four in her 99-pitch performance.
