Hartsville, S.C.----The seventh-seeded Tusculum College Pioneers scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Friday morning, rallying for a 9-4 victory over sixth-seeded Wingate University on day two of the South Atlantic Conference softball tournament. Tusculum improves to 28-24 overall, while the Bulldogs are eliminated from the SAC Tournament, ending their season at 25-25 overall.

Taylor Johnson had a homer and four RBI to lead the Tusculum attack, while Morgan Mahaffey added a homer and three RBI for the Pioneers. Sammie West also homered, scoring a pair of runs while Treslyn Reese added a hit and an RBI.

Senior infielder Misty Doran (Century, Fla.) was two-for-two with a homer to lead the Wingate offense. Freshman catcher Jordan Floyd (Wilmington, N.C.) added a homer and two RBI, while classmate Emma Swenson (Matthews, N.C.) contributed a hit, RBI and run scored for the Bulldogs.

West gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, connecting on a solo homer.

Wingate did all of its damage in the fourth inning. Freshman Mary Claire Coyne (Knoxville, Tenn.) started the frame with a single, then scored on Swenson's two-out RBI single. Floyd followed with her seventh homer of the year, a two-run shot to left to make it 3-1. Doran followed with her second homer in as many days and team-best eighth of the year, a solo shot to left to put the 'Dogs on top by three.

Tusculum had the answer in the sixth, scoring eight times to take the lead. Mahaffey's three-run homer tied the game, while Reese's RBI single gave the Pioneers a 5-4 advantage. Johnson's grand slam gave Tusculum a 9-4 lead.

Taylor Plemons got the win, improving to 13-13. She tossed 3 1/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits. Freshman right-hander Aubrey Reep (Eastover, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 12-12. She allowed seven runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out nine and walking two.