GREENEVILLE, TENN. — Tusculum just barely edged out UVA Wise in a closely-contested doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon, taking 4-1 and 2-1 wins at Red Edmonds Field.
UVA Wise (9-31, 4-18 SAC) had to make comeback attempts as the Pioneers (23-24, 8-15 SAC) took a one-run lead in each game to start the action.
In game one, Tusculum's Kallyn Newport went yard to give her squad a 1-0 advantage. When the Cavaliers went to bat in the top of the second, Hayley Duckett drew a walk and put herself in scoring position after a wild pitch before Abagail Mills drove her home with a two-out double to right center. Pioneer pitcher Italia Kyle found herself out of the jam with a strikeout to end the half-inning.
Neither club would be able to get a run across the board until the fourth inning when an RBI double from Katie Hodges and a Newport RBI single would give Tusculum a 3-1 lead.
The Cavaliers wouldn't find an opportunity to get another run across. Tusculum would squeeze in another run after a fielder's choice to finish off an eventual 4-1 final score.
McKenna Falwell swiped five strikeouts and allowed eight hits. Kara Long led the Cavaliers with the bats going two-for-four while Mills followed, going one-for-three with an RBI.
In game two, neither squad could get into a rhythm before the fourth inning. In the bottom of the inning, Tusculum had runners on the corners with two outs when Ireland Cavanaugh singled to center and pushed a run home. Katelynn Hodges hit a dribbler to Bayleigh Allison and she made the play to end the inning without further damage.
Megan Wilson made some noise in the top of the fifth for UVA Wise when she doubled to left field to start the inning. She snagged third base after a wild pitch, and was driven home with a sacrifice fly from Mills. Tusculum would find the second out, but not before the Cavaliers loaded the bases. Madison Watts would come into the pitcher's circle and force a fly out to leave three Cavaliers on base.
The Pioneers found their golden run in the bottom of the sixth when Sappington pushed a sacrifice fly to center to score the go-ahead. Despite escaping the inning, UVA Wise couldn't capitalize in the top of the seventh and fell by a 2-1 score.
Brie Frazier, Wilson, Long, McKnight, and Allison all snagged a hit each in game two, and Mills grabbed her second RBI of the day.
Alivia Nolley finished with five strikeouts in the circle for UVA Wise.
Up next, UVA Wise finishes out their regular season with a doubleheader in Mars Hill, N.C. with first pitch slated for 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 22.
