AU softball team wins 11-1 to earn split in doubleheader with Tusculum
By Chris Rickerson | Sports editor
Augusta University softball took one game in the doubleheader against Tusculum on Sunday, Feb. 6, at Jaguar Field.
The Jaguars (3-3) lost the first game by a score of 3-1, but then dominated the second game, winning 11-1 in five innings.
AU Junior Mary Tillman was on the mound against Tusculum’s left-handed junior Emily Sappington.
Anna Alloway took Tillman deep in the first inning, hitting a solo homer and giving the Pioneers the 1-0 lead.
Kiley Longmire added the second run of the game for the Pioneers, hitting an RBI double for a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.
Senior Olivia Biles was the only player on the Jaguars who would get a hit in the first game and batted in the only run of the game with a single, bring in senior Madelyn Libby.
Longmire got her second RBI of the game, hitting a single in the top of the sixth that brought in Katelynn Hodges and increased the Pioneers lead to 3-1.
The Jaguars struggled to get any more hits or runs and lost the game by two runs.
“The pitcher we faced the first game is really good,” said AU Coach Melissa Brocato. “She had a little up pitch that the umpire started calling early in the game, and I think we felt like we had to swing at it a little bit and it was to her advantage because she is a really good pitcher.”
Sappington (2-0) dominated in her win for the Pioneers, finishing with 13 strikeouts and only giving up two hits. Alloway led Tusculum in hitting, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Tillman (1-2) got the loss in the game, finishing with seven strikeouts and giving up three earned runs off seven hits. Biles led the Jaguars with their only 2 hits and one RBI.
Freshman Maggie McBrayer was on the mound for the Jaguars in Game Two, looking for her first college win. She would go up against Kendall Durard for the Pioneers.
Hodges scored the run of the game with an RBI single, bringing in Chloe Freischmidt and giving Tusculum the 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
The Jaguars tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with a double by Paige Patterson, bringing in senior Jakayla Sullivan. AU piled on three more runs in the second inning with a double by Sullivan and Biles, giving the Jaguars a 4-1 lead.
Sullivan added another run for the Jaguars in the fourth inning with a solo homer. Kali Garrett also homered in the inning, and this one brought in three runs and increased their lead to 8-1.
Patterson ended the game in five innings, hitting a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth and giving the Jaguars the win 11-1.
McBrayer (1-1) finished with her first win and her best game, only giving up 3 hits and striking out four batters.
“This was absolutely her best game and today she pitched like her,” said Brocato. “The first two games, maybe a little bit of settling in, I am not sure, but this was definitely what she is capable of and know what she is capable of, against a good hitting team.”
Biles, Patterson, Garrett and Sullivan led the Jaguars with two hits each. Patterson led AU with four RBIs. Sullivan spoke on her hitting adjustments in the second game
“I just had to make some adjustments and slow myself down and stop getting in my head,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan also spoke on what the team must do to continue winning games.
“We just have to stay true to ourselves and trust ourselves,” she said. “We have a lot of seniors, but we also have a lot of freshman and new people, so we have to continue to play together and understand we do have a lot of talent and play like ourselves, and I think will be really successful.”
Durard (0-2) got the loss for the Pioneers, giving up four runs off three hits and one strikeout.
The Jaguars next game will be at home against Francis Marion (2-2) in a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 12. Game One will be at 1 p.m., followed by Game Two at 3 p.m.
“We just have to keep doing what we have been doing, one remembering who we are, what were capable of and not let one outing or performance start making us second guess,” said Brocato. “We have a lot of youth, and we have a lot of seniors, so I think the seniors are eager and hungry to finish there careers well, and I think the freshman are eager and hungry to start there’s off well, so I think that is a great combination for competition.”
Contact Chris Rickerson at crickerson@augusta.edu.
Shortstop Jakayla Sullivan (covering second base) gets the force out for the AU softball team. At the top of the page, third base Aliyah Luke makes a throw to first base. (photos by Chris Rickerson)
