Softball Takes Both Games From Union

ATHENS, Tenn.- The softball team played a doubleheader at Athens Regional Park on Wednesday. The team hosted the Union College Lady Bulldogs in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader.

Game One:

Molly Chastain and Bailiee Phillips helped TWU take the first lead of the game. Chastain started the team's first at-bat with a single, moving to second on a stolen base. Phillips hit a single, bringing Chastain home from second to give the team a 1-0 lead after the first inning. Union took a brief lead in the top of the third. 

In the bottom of the third, the Lady Bulldogs took back the lead. Carlynn Atamaniuk opened the offensive half with a bunt single and was joined on base by Chastain. An error on Courtney Sneed's at-bat loaded the bases as Phillips came to the plate. Phillips hit a double to center field that Atamaniuk and Chastain scored on, giving the team a 3-2 lead. Taylor Penning followed with a single that allowed Sneed to score. Two batters later, Mackenzie Baldwin's fielder's choice gave Phillips the chance to score, moving the lead to 5-2 after a four-run third inning.

Tennessee Wesleyan had another four-run inning in the bottom of the fourth. Atamaniuk and Chastain both reached base again to begin the fourth. A wild pitch moved each runner a base. Phillips' reached base via a fielder's choice and Atamaniuk was able to beat the throw home on the play to become the first run of the inning. After Chastain and Phillips each stole a base, Penning hit a single to right field to score Chastain. Avery Hope followed with a single to left field, scoring Phillips. The inning ended with the team leading 9-2 after Tatum Massengale hit a single, scoring Penning. The run rule came into effect in the fifth inning when Chastain scored on Phillips' sacrifice fly, making the final score 10-2 in five innings. 

Phillips led the team with five RBIs while Penning had two RBIs. Madison Stott got the pitching win.

Game Two:

Game two was taken over by the Lady Bulldogs early. In the bottom of the first, Sneed and Phillips hit back-to-back singles to get on base. Penning hit a bunt single that scored Sneed and moved Phillips to third. A sacrifice fly by Hope made the lead two as Phillips ran home after the catch and Baldwin brought Penning home with a single to give the team a 3-0 lead after the first inning. In the second inning, the team moved their lead to double digits.

TWU scored nine runs on eight hits in the second inning. Hits by Sneed, who was responsible for three RBIs in the inning, Penning, Hope, Kaley Bradley, and Courtney Wilson helped bring in runs in the inning. Wilson (twice), Chastain, Atamaniuk (twice), Sneed, Penning, Hope, and Bradley all scored in the inning, putting in the run rule as the lead moved to 12-0. Union only recorded one hit in the five-inning game, and it did not bring in a run in the shutout win for the Lady Bulldogs.

Phillips held the visitors to one hit in the circle while striking out nine batters. Sneed and Penning led the offense with three RBIs in the win.

Tennessee Wesleyan (7-4, 6-2) will go on the road for their next doubleheader. They will travel to face No. 3 Georgia Gwinnett College on Saturday. The first game is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.