Tuesday, March 27, 2007

TUSCULUM, CARSON-NEWMAN SPLIT SAC SOFTBALL PAIR

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College's Jenica Fernandez recorded a pair of doubles as the Pioneers split a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader with visiting Carson-Newman College Tuesday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field.

C-N pitcher Stephanie Templeton (Ringgold, Ga.) tossed a three-hit shutout and went 3-for-4 at the plate as the Lady Eagles blanked the Pioneers 3-0 in the opener. Tusculum (21-12, 1-3 SAC) rebounded in the night-cap as TC erupted for five runs in the second inning in a 6-3 win for the Pioneers.

Game 1: Carson-Newman 3, Tusculum 0

It was the Templeton show in the first game as she allowed three singles, walked three and struck out three in a 3-0 Carson-Newman victory. Templeton also doubled twice, her 10^th and 11^th of the season, including her two-bagger in the fourth inning as she drove in Amber Palmer (Kennesaw, Ga.) from first.

In the circle, Templeton recorded 15 fly outs and retired 10 of the final 12 batters of the game and didn’t allow a base runner to advance past second.

Templeton improves her record to 16-3 on the season, while Tusculum starter Kassie Killion (Coolidge, Ariz.) suffered her first loss of 2007 to fall to 3-1.

Game 2: Tusculum 6, Carson-Newman 3

Tusculum mounted a five-run second inning, including Fernandez' three-run double as the Pioneers won 6-3 in the second game. Fernandez finished the game going 2-for-3 and scored twice, while Makenzie Loy (Knoxville, Tenn.) also had a 2-for-3 outing.

TC sent eight batters to the plate in the second as the first four hitters reached, including back-to-back singles by Brie Griffin (Glendale, Ariz.) and Loy. Ashley Basilicato (East Patchogue, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Pitcher Holli Cadenhead (Van Vleck, Texas) singled home Jess Greer (Rogersville, Tenn.), who pinch ran for Griffin for the first run of the game. With one out and the bases full of Pioneers, Fernandez (Phoenix, Ariz.) doubled to center field to clear the bases. Fernandez would cross the plate herself on Anna Johnson's (Jonesborough, Tenn.) ninth double of the year as TC led 5-0.

Tusculum added another run in the fourth inning when Fernandez led off with a double and later scored on a C-N error to move ahead 6-0.

Carson-Newman (26-8, 2-2 SAC) made it interesting late in the game as Sarah Little (Calhoun, Ga.), Whitney Hickham (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Templeton each connected on solo home runs to trim the deficit to 6-3. But rookie Jessica Bales (Louisville, Ky.) would come aboard to pitch the final 1 1/3 innings to post her first collegiate save.

Cadenhead went 5 2/3 innings, allowed five hits, three runs, three walks and two strikeouts to improve her record to 6-3. C-N starter suffered the loss as she falls to 10-4 on the year.

Tusculum returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Catawba College for a SAC doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. C-N will be at Wingate University on Saturday.

- TC -