GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – UVA Wise softball split its doubleheader with Tusculum University Sunday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field. The Cavaliers secured a 6-1 game one win before falling in eight innings to the Pioneers, 4-3, in game two. Senior Alexis Miles became the new program all-time home run leader with her two-run bomb in the second game, collecting 33 career home runs.
Both teams recorded a hit in the first inning, but neither would be able to push a run across until the top of the second. Freshman Jenna McDermott led the frame with a double to left center before advancing to third on a fly out to center field. Senior Kailey Huffman's two-out single scored McDermott to give the Cavs a 1-0 edge.
Senior Kaylee Jones led the third inning with a walk as senior Katie Russell doubled on the next at bat. Miles plated Jones and Russell with a double to left to give UVA Wise a 3-0 advantage.
Tusculum scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to get on the board, trailing the Cavs 3-1 at the end of the inning.
Russell began the fifth inning with a single to right center as Miles walked on base. With two outs, senior Casey Chambers' single down the left field line sent home Miles to extend the margin to 4-1 as the Pioneers recorded the final out on an unassisted play at third base.
UVA Wise scored two more runs between the final two innings. A leadoff single up the middle put Huffman on base before she scored on an error in the top of the sixth. McDermott scored the final run for the Cavs on a two-out triple off the bat of Chambers in the top of the seventh frame.
Tusculum registered one more hit in the bottom of the inning, but three straight outs secured the game one win for the Cavs.
UVA Wise totaled 11 hits in the game as Chambers led the team going 3-for-4 at the plate and batted in a pair of runs.
Senior Raychel Lapallo improved to 9-7 with the victory as she scattered just three hits and fanned one in a complete game effort.
Tusculum's Kaitlyn Pickens (3-4) suffered the loss as she yielded four hits and struck out one across two innings.
Freshman Kara Long's leadoff single in game two put a runner on for UVA Wise, but she was left on base with back-to-back pop ups and a fly out ending the top of the frame.
Miles gave the Cavs the lead in the top of the third with her two-out homer down the left field line, scoring Russell to take a 2-0 advantage. A fly out and a double play ended the third frame as the Pioneers continued to trail.
Tusculum used a late rally to tie the contest in the bottom of the seventh. The Pioneers recorded a leadoff hit, but nothing came of it as Tusculum's Kiley Longmire grounded into a double play. Emily Sappington reached first on a fielding error before Hayley Lazo homered to left field to knot the game, 2-2, at the end of seven innings.
With Jones on second, Russell singled through the left side to score the first baseman and pull ahead 3-2 in the top of the eighth. Miles singled on the next at bat with a fielder's choice placing McDermott on first as Russell was out at third. A hit by pitch put Chambers on first to load the bases for UVA Wise with two outs, but a ground out to second left them stranded into the bottom of the eighth.
Tusculum scored the tying run on a fly out to left field scoring Kristen Gass in the home half of the eighth. A one-out single by Mya Maddox advanced Brittney Franse to third with the Pioneers driving in the winning run on a sacrifice hit to take the game 4-3.
The Cavs totaled 10 hits in the second game with Miles and Russell each going 2-for-4 at the plate.
Tusculum's Delilah Malczewski (1-4) gained the win, scattering four hits and striking out two in four innings.
Falwell fell to 9-9 as she yielded nine hits and struck out three across 7 2/3 innings in the circle.
