Saturday, March 31, 2007

TUSCULUM, CATAWBA SPLIT SAC SOFTBALL TWINBILL

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tusculum College and Catawba College split a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field. Tusculum won the opener 7-3, while the Catawba Indians won the night-cap 9-6 in game two. The Pioneers now stand at 22-13 overall and 2-4 in the league, while Catawba goes to 35-12 overall and 3-3 in the SAC.

Tusculum's Chrissy Wilkison (Lake Forest, Calif.) went 5-for-7 on the day with a pair of doubles and her team-leading eighth home run of the season. Catawba's Jacqueline White (Mt. Ulla, N.C.) had a monster day going 6-for-7 with seven RBI. White had three doubles and a home run in the doubleheader.

Game 1: Tusculum 7, Catawba 3

Tusculum rallied from a 3-0 deficit, erupting for the five runs in the fifth inning as the Pioneers prevailed 7-3.

Trialing by three runs, TC cut the margin to 3-2 in the third then erupted for five runs in the fifth after two were out. Judith Saavedra (Phoenix, Ariz.) drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored the tying run on a single by Anna Johnson (Jonesborough, Tenn.). Wilkison doubled home the go-ahead run, while Ashley Basilicato (East Patchogue, NY) doubled home the final two runs.

Kassie Killion (Coolidge, Ariz.) earned the win in relief, tossing three shutout innings and allowing just two hits. White was 3-for-3 for Catawba, while Wilkison and Makenzie Loy (Knoxville, Tenn.) each had two hits for the Pioneers.

Game 2: Catawba 9, Tusculum 6

Catawba used a five-run second inning to grab control of the second game. Kathryn Geouge (Canton, NC) had a RBI double, while White clubbed a three-run homer. White added a two-run double in the sixth as Catawba moved ahead 9-0.

Rachel Christian (Buckingham, Va.) shutout the Pioneers for five innings, but Tusculum rallied for five runs in the sixth. Christian allowed a double and single to open the frame and was relieved by game one starter Lindsay Ettinger (Pasadena, Md.). Ettinger was able to register two outs, but allowed three hits and a walk with Christian returning to record the final out of the inning.

Wilkison homered to lead off the seventh, but Christian retired the final three batters to improve to 13-5. White was 3-for-4 for the Lady Indians, while Geouge and Brittany Thornburg (Kings Mountain, N.C.) each had two hits and scored two runs. Wilkison and Basilicato each had two hits for the Pioneers.

Tusculum will host Limestone College for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

- TC -