Lookout Mountain, Ga. - The Transylvania softball team traveled to Georgia for a three game series, taking on the Covenant College Scots on Monday, March 14, and the Webster University Gorloks, along with another matchup with the Scots, on Tuesday, March 15.
The Pioneers were thwarted to open the week, with a 3-2 loss to the Scots on Monday, but responded on Tuesday with two emphatic victories, as head coach Shawn Hendrickson earned his 300th career win. Transylvania defeated the Gorloks 7-3, and kept up the pace as they bested the Scots in the rematch later that day, 9-3.
Against Covenant (Game 1), pitcher Carlee Jeter took to the circle for Transy. The Pioneers jumped out to early lead in the bottom of the first, starting with a leadoff double from Kadi Weaver. Taylor Senter singled to right to load the bases with just one out, and Annie Schuck walked to score Weaver. A Jordyn Powell sac fly plated Nunn to put the Pios up 2-0. The Scots responded with two doubles in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 2-1, and a two run homer in the bottom of the second put them ahead. Jeter kept the Scots at bay from there with four scoreless innings, but the Pioneers were unable to find the tying run, losing the game 3-2.
Against Webster (Game 2), Transylvania's offense again wasted no time. Another leadoff double, this time from Abby Frazier, and a single from Weaver, had the Pioneers off to to another great start. Senter blasted a double to score two, and Schuck backed it up with a triple to put the Pios up 3-0. Stella Wulker drove home Schuck with a single, and Transy led 4-0 after the top of the first. Jeter, pitching again, carved through the Gorlok lineup, not allowing a base runner until the fourth inning when Webster broke through and plated two. In the sixth they scored another, making it 6-3 Transy. However, an RBI single from Wulker gave the Pioneers a key insurance run in the seventh, and Jeter shut the door to take the complete game win, with a final score of 7-3.
Against Covenant (Game 3), the Pioneers made an early statement for the third straight game. They scored two in the top of the first, with RBI singles from Schuck and Wulker. A sac fly from Nunn in the third made it a three run lead, and first-year Cadee Baker stole home in the fourth, to give Transy a 4-0 lead. Marlee Woodward pitched through the Scots, not allowing anyone on base until the bottom of the fourth, when they scored one. Transy responded with two of their own in the top of the fifth, courtesy of RBI hits from Nunn and Wulker, to make it 6-1 Pioneers. The Scots touched home once again in the bottom of the inning, but Transy came out for the sixth and laid the hammer down, scoring three more runs. They took the game 9-3, Woodward taking the win.
Transylvania now looks ahead to the Pioneer Classic, where they will play four games over the weekend in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Things will get underway with a 12:30 PM game against Wittenberg University on Saturday, March 19.
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