GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University softball team completed its first series sweep in over a month, taking down Lander University in a key regional matchup at Red Edmonds Field on Tuesday (Apr. 22).
Tusculum (37-15, 13-11 SAC) begins the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament. The Pioneers will travel to archrival and No. 4 seed Carson-Newman to kick off the opening round on Friday (Apr. 25) at 3:30 p.m.
Game 1: Tusculum 7, Lander 2
Megan Ackerman became just the sixth player in program history to reach the 20-win mark in a season. Offensively, Danielle Jason went 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI.
The Bearcats struck first with an unearned run in the opening frame.
Tusculum tied the game with its own run in the first. On the first pitch she faced, Jason doubled down the left field line and moved up to third on a throwing error, the first of four errors by Lander. She scored on a Brooke Smith groundout.
Lander loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but a fielder’s choice got Ackerman out of the jam.
After a 15-minute rain delay between the half innings, play resumed.
Neither team scored again until the Pioneers took the lead in the fourth. Abby Hunter led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a passed ball. Gabi Nicholson laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Hunter up. She scored on an Ella Majchrzak sacrifice fly.
TU led off the fifth with three-straight hits from Caylen Conrad, Jason, and Smith before a double play. With two runners still on base, Sammy Jimenez doubled to center to plate both teammates, stretching the lead to 4-1.
Lander got a run back in the sixth inning on a two-out single, followed by a triple.
Tusculum tacked on three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, aided by a pair of Bearcat errors. Majchrzak led off with a double with Katie Jones entering to pinch run. Hailey Nichols bunted for a single and advanced on the throw as Jones was picked off at third. Conrad drew a walk as chaos ensued. Jason doubled for the second time, advancing to third on a muffed catch by the Lander catcher as both Conrad and Nichols scored. Smith bunted for a single and moved up to second on a throwing error, allowing Jason to score.
Ackerman (20-8) tossed a complete game, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits, two walks, and one strikeout across an even 100 pitches.
Game 2: Tusculum 4, Lander 2
Natalie Spaitis had one of her best starts of the season, limiting Lander to just one earned run over five innings. Jimenez launched a three-run homer, the 26th of her career, as she continues her chase for the record.
Spaitis started off a little slow, allowing three-straight singles to start off the contest. She walked the next batter to score the first run before a strikeout and double play by the TU defense ended the threat.
The Bearcats had runners at the corners with two outs in the fourth. Facing pressure, Jimenez threw a no-look pick off to Nichols, who landed a swipe tag, at first to end the frame.
Jacy Ayers of Lander pitched a perfect game entering the fourth inning. Jason drew a four-pitch walk but was out on a Smith fielder’s choice. Ellie Alvarez ended the no-hitter with a double as both she and Smith stood in scoring position with one out. Jimenez took the third pitch out of the park as she is now four shy of tying the program record held by Anna Alloway (30).
Tusculum added a fourth run in the fifth. Nichols drew a walk and sped over to third on a Conrad sacrifice bunt as the Bearcats did not cover third on the play. Jason bunted for a single, scoring Nichols.
Lander threatened in the sixth. An error, single, and walk loaded the bases with no outs, with a single scoring a run. Ackerman entered the circle and shut down the Bearcats on seven pitches, including a come-backer fielder’s choice to cut the runner down at the plate.
Spaitis (7-3) righted the ship, surrendering two runs (one earned) on eight hits, with two walks and three strikeouts across five innings and 88 pitches. Ackerman (Sv, 4) collected the save, tossing 25 pitches in two innings of relief, walking one and striking out another.
