GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team lost a two-game pitchers' duel on Wednesday afternoon (Mar. 8) to visiting Lincoln Memorial. With the fourth strikeout of her outing, Emily Sappington became the program's all-time leader in career strikeouts.
Tusculum (11-14, 0-6 SAC) go on a North Carolina road trip, starting with Mars Hill on Saturday (Mar. 11). First pitch between the Pioneers and Lions is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game 1: Lincoln Memorial 6, Tusculum 0
Sappington may have broken a two-decade old record, but the Railsplitters' Emma Frost tossed a perfect game in response. Frost needed just 68 pitches to get through 21 outs, including five via strikeout.
LMU tallied two runs in the third, one in the fourth, and three in the sixth. Two runs were courtesy of a pair of sacrifice flies. The Railsplitters also launched a two-run homer down the left field line.
Tusculum was able to minimize the damage as Lincoln Memorial left 10 runners stranded on the base path.
Sappington (5-7) threw a career-high 173 pitches, finishing with eight strikeouts. She also allowed nine hits, six earned runs, and tied a collegiate-high six walks.
Game 2: Lincoln Memorial 8, Tusculum 3
Both pitchers relented just two earned runs in the second game, but Lincoln Memorial outhit Tusculum to secure the doubleheader sweep.
Each of the 1-7 batters for the Pioneers recorded a hit, with Sammy Jimenez and Hayley Lazo notching doubles in the third inning.
Tusculum struck first in game two as Kallyn Newport did the dirty work. She singled through the left side and stole second. She was able to score on a fielding error by LMU.
The Railsplitters evened up the score in the second.
Jimenez doubled to right field to lead off the third frame. She advanced to third on Claire Smeltzer's groundout and scored on Chloe Freischmidt's single. Freischmidt was erased on Maddie McBride's fielder's choice. Lazo doubled in McBride to put Tusculum ahead 3-1.
A solo home run in the fourth closed the gap for LMU, followed by a five-run sixth. The Railsplitters used four hits and an error to plate the unearned runs.
Lincoln Memorial added a two-out RBI single in the seventh as additional insurance.
Ireland Cavanaugh (4-6) tossed 133 pitches over 5.2 innings of work. She surrendered seven runs (two earned) on 11 hits, four walks, and two strikeouts. Keylon Reynolds closed out the contest with one earned run on two hits and two walks, facing eight batters.
