Lions swept by Tusculum in SAC play
The Mars Hill (10-8, 1-3 SAC) softball team dropped both contests against South Atlantic Conference foe Tusculum (17-12, 2-2 SAC) on the road Thursday afternoon. The Lions suffered 9-3 and 8-2 losses.
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - The Mars Hill (10-8, 1-3 SAC) softball team dropped both contests against South Atlantic Conference foe Tusculum (17-12, 2-2 SAC) on the road Thursday afternoon. The Lions suffered 9-3 and 8-2 losses.
GAME ONE - TC 9, MHU 3
Several early runs from the Pioneers held firm as the Lions were downed 9-3 in game one. Tusculum scored two runs in the bottom of the first, with Anna Alloway's RBI single opening up the scoring. Later in the inning, with runners on second and third, a single from Sammie West put Tusculum up 2-0 at the end of the first frame.
The Pioneers tacked on three more runs in the second. Sandwiched between Taylor Battle and Alloway's RBI doubles, Delaney Guerrero put Tusculum up 4-0 with a RBI single to right-center field.
Down 5-0 entering the third, the Lions were able to get on the scoreboard with a RBI single off the bat of Ashley Evans. Tusculum added two more runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, respectively.
Mars Hill was able to pull within four runs with two RBI singles from Addison Harris and Bobbi Jones. A two-RBI double from Emily Hester in the bottom of the sixth solidified the six-run win for the Pioneers.
Allison Pate won her eighth game of the year, pitching 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out five. Christiana Marasa, in one inning pitched, allowed three runs on five hits for the loss.
GAME TWO - TC 8, MHU 2
Repeating their start from game one, the Pioneers put together a 5-0 lead before the Lions were able to score their first run of the game.
Morgan Mahaffey's sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the second opened the scoring. Tusculum built their lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs. A Mars Hill throwing error allowed Courtney Gibson to cross home for the 2-0 advantage. Mahaffey picked up her second RBI of the game with a double to left field. Taylor Battle and Anna Alloway added RBI singles to head into the fifth inning up by five.
A RBI single from Casey Stanek scored Ragan Broome to cut the deficit to four. Tusculum and Mars Hill traded one run apiece in the bottom of the fifth and top of the sixth, respectively. An errant throw on a pickoff attempt plated Sammie West for the Pioneer's sixth run. Jordan Harris' RBI single scored Addison Harris to score the Lions' final run of the day.
The Pioneers added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Alloway's RBI double to right-center field scored Delaney Guerrero. Later in the inning, West laid down a sacrifice bunt to plate Tori West for the Pioneers' eighth run, once again completing the six-run victory.
Battle, Alloway, Brittney Franse, Emma Casey and Sammie West each had two hits in game two; Tusculum totalled 13 in the back half of the doubleheader. Broome had two of Mars Hill's seven hits, scoring one run in the contest.
Taylor Plemons allowed two runs on seven hits in the complete game win. She struck out four. Christiana Marasa suffered her second loss of the day, allowing four runs on six hits in 3.0 innings pitched.
Mars Hill returns to action on Saturday, March 24 with a doubleheader against Catawba. Game one is slated for a 1 p.m. start. Game two is scheduled for 3 p.m.
