Softball Wins A Pair of One-Run Games Against Bluefield

ATHENS, Tenn.- For the first time in the 2025 season, the softball team played a doubleheader on their home field. The team swept a doubleheader against the Bluefield University Lady Rams on Wednesday, winning each game by one run. 

Game One:

Tennessee Wesleyan carried a 1-0 lead in the first inning all the way to the end of the first game of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader. Macy Chastain reached base on a single in the bottom of the first. An error on Courtney Sneed's at-bat moved Chastain to second while Bailee Phillips hit a single to load the bases. Chastain scored the lone run of the game on a Mackenzie Baldwin sacrifice fly. 

That was all the offense the Lady Bulldogs needed. Phillips pitched a no-hitter through six innings, finishing with 11 strikeouts in the win. 

Game Two:

A little more offense occurred in the second game. Unfortunately for TWU, the opponents scored two runs in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Chastain opened the hitting portion of the game for the Lady Bulldogs with a triple. Sneed hit a single up the middle that allowed the team to get one of the runs back and the inning ended with the score 2-1.

After laying down a bunt single in the third inning, Carlynn Atamaniuk eventually tied the game 2-2. A walk by Chastain moved Atamaniuk into scoring position on second while Sneed's ground out moved each runner a base. An error occurred on a Phillips flyout, giving Atamaniuk the space to score to tie the game. Bluefield scored two runs in the fifth inning to take back the lead.

A two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth and the seventh innings helped Tennessee Wesleyan force extra innings.

In the fifth inning, Chastain got on base with a bunt single and moved to third on Sneed's single through the hole in the right side. Phillips hit a single that Chastain scored on, moving the score to 4-3. Similar to the fifth inning, Chastain got on first with a base hit. This time though, Sneed hit a double to deep right field and Chastain put the wheels to make it to home plate before the throw could make it back to home plate, tying the game and sending it to extra innings.

After three straight strikeouts by Phillips to send the game to the bottom of the eighth, the Lady Bulldogs ended the game in a walk-off. Baldwin opened the inning with a walk. Kaley Bradley came to the plate and hit a ball that resulted in two errant throws. As a result of the throws, Baldwin was able to make her way around the remaining bases to give the team a 5-4 win.

Phillips was credited with the win, adding three strikeouts to her pitching total on the day. Isabella Jenkins had four strikeouts in the circle. 

This was the team's third extra-innings win. 

Tennessee Wesleyan (6-2, 5-1 AAC) will be back on the road Friday. The team will face rival Bryan College in a conference doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m.