Greenville, Tenn. —- The Catawba College softball team once again impressed with its offensive production on Wednesday, scoring 25 runs on 35 hits in a doubleheader sweep at Tusculum to improve to 4-2 in South Atlantic Conference play.
GAME ONE | Catawba 9, Tusculum 8 - 8 innings
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Tusculum 14-11
- Both teams recorded four extra-base hits; the Pioneers hit the lone homer
- Both teams committed an error in the field
- Catawba's pitchers allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits and three walks, striking out four; Tusculum's staff allowed eight earned runs on 14 hits and two walks, striking out six
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Kary Hales was 3-for-5 with three doubles, two RBI and two runs scored
- Hales also pitched the final five innings in relief, earning the win
- Bri Herring singled, drove in two runs and scored
- Molly Strider went 2-for-2 with a run driven in and a run scored
- Savanna Balderston added two hits and two RBI
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- A one-out triple allowed Tusculum to open the scoring with an RBI groundout
SECOND INNING
- Hales doubled to lead off the second
- Strider's RBI single to right scored her to tie the game
THIRD INNING
- The Pioneers connected on a grand slam to take a 5-1 lead
FOURTH INNING
- Herring scored two with a two-out single to center field to cut the deficit in half
FIFTH INNING
- With the bases loaded, Kinsley Caldwell moved everyone up 60 feet with an RBI single
- Balderston put Catawba on top 6-5 with a two-out, two-RBI single
- Tusculum tied the game in the bottom half on a wild pitch
SIXTH INNING
- A two-out RBI double from Bri Gallagher returned the lead to the Catawba Indians
SEVENTH INNING
- Tusculum doubled to score the tying run in the bottom of the seventh
- Hales stranded the winning run on third to go to extras
EIGHTH INNING
- Grace Flynn walked to put runners on first and second with the inherited runner at second
- Riley Tucker's sac bunt moved the runners up before Hales drove them in with a two-RBI double
- Tusculum got within a run with an RBI double in the bottom half, but Hales forced a foul-out to earn the game one win
GAME TWO | Catawba 16, Tusculum 9
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Tusculum 21-12
- The Catawba Indians racked up 10 extra-base hits to the Pioneers' six
- TU committed two of three errors
- Tusculum recorded the lone stolen base
- Catawba's pitchers allowed nine earned runs on 12 hits and one walk, striking out four; Tusculum's staff allowed 16 earned runs on 21 hits and four walks, striking out two
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Gallagher was 3-for-4 with a homer, a walk, four RBI and three runs scored
- Hales went 2-for-3 with a homer, two walks, three RBI and two runs scored
- Flynn added two hits including a triple with a run driven in and three runs scored
- Tucker had a four-hit game with a double and two runs scored before pitching the final 2.1 innings to earn the win
- Madi Taylor added two hits with a homer, three RBI and a run scored
- Savanna Balderston doubled twice, drove in three and scored
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Herring hit a solo homer to lead off game two
- Tucker hit a double before Gallagher drove her in on a two-out RBI single
- Tusculum got a run back with an RBI double in the bottom half
FOURTH INNING
- Balderston's RBI double kickstarted an 8-run fourth for Catawba
- Flynn drove in another on an RBI fielder's choice
- Hales' three-run homer with two outs put Catawba up 7-1
- After a single and hit-by-pitch, Taylor added Catawba's second three-run homer of the inning to take a 10-1 lead after four
- Two Pioneer homers of their own added three runs for the home team in the bottom half
FIFTH INNING
- Flynn's one-out triple turned into a little-league homer after a TU throwing error
- Tusculum put up a four-spot in the bottom half to bring their deficit within 11-8
SEVENTH INNING
- Gallagher's three-run homer provided Catawba insurance in the seventh
- Balderston's two-run double capped Catawba's highest scoring outing this season
- TU got a run back in the seventh, but Tucker shut the door from there to clinch the sweep
UP NEXT
- Catawba stays on the road this weekend, heading west to Harrogate, Tenn. to take on defending SAC tourney champ Lincoln Memorial on Saturday; first pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.
