ANDERSON, S.C. - The Anderson University softball team wrapped up its regular-season by pounding out 23 hits en route to sweeping Tusculum, 7-6 and 10-6, in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Smethers Field.

Anderson recognized seniors Brook Lucas and Amber Duncan at home plate between games as the Trojans tacked on two more wins to their record-setting victory tally on the season. Duncan picked up both wins in the circle for Anderson (35-11, 12-6 SAC) as the Trojans earned the third seed in next week's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament.

Tusculum slipped to 29-22 overall and 9-9 in the league and will host the tourney as the No. 5 seed.

Game #1
Anderson 7, Tusculum 6

Sophomore catcher Laura Jansky was 3-for-4 in the opener, with a two-run home run and a double, while sophomore Abby Child was 2-for-4 with two RBI and also scored twice. Sophomore Danielle Swygert posted a pair of singles in four at-bats and drove in a pair of runs, while freshman Jessica Neidigh was 2-for-4 and crossed the plate once. Freshman left fielder Rebecca Martin scored twice.

The Pioneers jumped on top early, as freshman Kaytlin Stroinski was hit by a pitch with two outs and scored all the way from first on senior Ashley Burke's double to right field. The Trojans escaped further damage when Lucas came up firing from right field and caught Burke in a rundown between second and third.

Anderson evened the score in the bottom of the frame, when Neidigh, who led off with an opposite-field triple down the left-field line, scored on a two-out error by the Tusculum second baseman.

Tusculum added three more runs in the third, sending eight batters to the plate and loading the bases with just one out. Burke's two-out single through the right side drove in a pair of runs and sophomore Katie Brennan followed with an RBI single through the left side to give the visitors a brief 4-1 lead.

The Trojans countered by sending eight batters to the plate, scoring four times in the bottom of the frame to take a lead they would not relinquish. Martin led off with a single back up the middle and Child followed with a double to right, putting both runners in scoring position. Swygert ripped a single to center, scoring both Martin and Child and Jansky followed with her fifth home run of the campaign, giving AU a 5-4 advantage.

Child gave the Trojans' a 7-4 cushion with her team-leading 14th home run of the year, a two-run shot over the left-field fence in the fourth inning that scored Martin.

Tusculum climbed within 7-6 with a pair of fifth-inning runs and had the tying run on first after Stroinski drew a one-out walk, but Burke ripped a liner that Child snagged at second and threw to first to double off Stroinski and preserve the win.

Duncan earned her 19th win of the season by going the distance, surrendering six runs (three earned) while striking out three and walking three. TC's Elizabeth Johnson (24-11) absorbed the loss, surrendering five extra-base hits among the 10 hits she allowed, while issuing three walks and recording three strikeouts.

Game #2
Anderson 10, Tusculum 6

Neidigh finished the nightcap going 3-for-4 and drove in a career-high RBI from her lead-off spot at the top of the order. The versatile second baseman also scored twice. Freshman Bri Cason was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and scored twice, while sophomore Stephanie Hanvey posted two singles in three trips to the plate. Martin also added two singles, with Child driving in a pair of runs.

Tusculum scored the first run of the nightcap on Stroinski's one-out double down the left-field line in the first inning, but Anderson answered with three runs in both the third and fourth innings to build a 6-2 lead after the Pioneers added a solo run in the top of the fourth.

Tusculum erased the 6-2 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth, but Neidigh hit a three-run home run over the fence in right-center to score Cason and Rachel Rhodes in the bottom of the sixth, giving AU a 9-6 lead. The Trojans took advantage of TC miscues to push the final run across and Duncan retired the Pioneers 1-2-3 in the seventh to claim the win.

Duncan improved to 20-8 on the season after giving up the six runs on 10 hits over seven innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked three. Stroinski (2-8) surrendered six earned runs and struck out three.

As the No. 3 seed in the double-elimination Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament, the Trojans will square off against sixth-seeded Brevard in Thursday's opening round at 1 p.m. The tourney is being hosted by Tusculum at Red Edmonds Field in Greeneville, Tenn.