For the first time, AUTrojans.com is counting down Anderson University athletics' 25 most memorable games, matches and meets from the 2013-14 academic year. This season's countdown began on Monday, June 16 and will continue throughout the summer.
Be sure to check AUTrojans.com during the offseason to relive all the highlights of another successful year at Anderson.
Swygert's Walk-Off Grand Slam Propels Trojans to Sweep of Tusculum
April 1, 2014
ANDERSON, S.C. - Senior Danielle Swygert's one-out walk-off
grand slam propelled the Anderson softball team to a 6-3 victory in
the opener, while timely hitting lifted the Trojans to a 4-2 win in
the nightcap, as AU swept a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader
from Tusculum at Smethers Field.
Playing its second South Atlantic Conference twin bill in three
days, Anderson (27-9, 7-5 SAC) claimed its third straight win,
while Tusculum (20-20, 6-6 SAC), the defending South Atlantic
Conference regular-season champion, saw its win streak halted at
four games.
Game #1
Anderson 6, Tusculum 3
Swygert finished the opener with the grand slam and a single, while
tallying four RBI and one run scored. Fellow senior Abby Child was
also 2-for-4, with a pair of RBI-singles and crossed the plate
once. Junior second baseman Jessica Neidigh added two singles in
four trips to the plate.
Neidigh led off the home fifth inning with a sharp single to
center, stole second, and scored the game's first run on Abby
Child's opposite-field single down the right-field line.
The Pioneers' Paige Sneed quickly tied the score at 1-1 by lofting
a home run just beyond the fence in left-center to lead off the
sixth inning. Tusculum threatened to gain the lead when sophomore
Miranda Beeler reached on a fielder's choice. Junior Kaytlin
Stroinski followed with a two-out single to center, but Beeler was
thrown out by Molly Child as she attempted to go from first to
third on the single, ending the inning.
Tusculum took a 3-1 advantage with two runs in the top of the seventh, as freshman Tavi Parris earned a one-out walk and junior Nicole Ball homered to left.
Trailing by two, the Trojans' opened their final at-bat with Cason and senior Charlotte Sieber reaching on back-to-back singles. One out later, Molly Child ripped a single to right, loading the bases and getting the winning run on first. Abby Child followed with a run-scoring single through the left side and pulling AU within 3-2 on the scoreboard to set up Swygert's heroics. The hard-hitting first baseman pulled an 0-1 offering over the fence in right field for the game-winning grand slam.
Game #2
Anderson 4, Tusculum 2
Molly Child was a perfect 3-for-3 in the nightcap,
notching three singles, a run scored and an RBI. Junior outfielder
Rebecca Martin added a pair of singles in three at-bats, while
Swygert increased her hitting streak to eight games with a
single.
Freshman Lauren Rudesheim (13-4) earned the win with her team-leading eighth complete game of the season. The newcomer allowed two earned runs, while scattering four hits over the seven innings. She struck out five and walked just one.
The Trojans opened the scoring with an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning, as Neidigh led off the inning by reaching on a bunt single and went all the way to third when the Pioneers threw the ball away trying to throw out the speedy leadoff hitter. Neidigh crossed the plate with the first run of the contest when Molly Child followed with a deep fly to center.
Tusculum countered to take a brief, 2-1, lead with a pair of runs on the strength of Stroinski's fifth home run of the season - a two-run homer over the right-field fence in the top of the fourth frame.
Anderson answered quickly, with senior Laura Jansky reaching on a fielder's choice and crossing the plate with the game-tying run on Bri Cason's triple off the fence in left field. The Trojans took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, as AU opened the frame with three straight singles.
After Molly Child and Abby Child reached base on back-to-back singles to the outfield, Swygert followed with a single to center, bringing Molly Child home with the eventual game-winning run. With two outs, Jansky singled to left to plate Abby Child with an additional insurance run, boosting the Trojan's lead to 4-2.
The Pioneers threatened in both the sixth and seventh innings, but the Anderson defense held TC off the scoreboard to earn the sweep.
AUTrojans.com's Most Memorable Moments of 2013-14
25. Women's Tennis 6, Carson-Newman 3 - April 11,
2014
24. Setro Finishes Sixth at State Farm Intercollegiate - Oct. 14,
2013
23. Baseball 5, Southern Wesleyan 2 - March 5, 2014
22. Women's Cross Country Finishes 4th at SAC Championships -
Oct. 14,
2013
21. Katie Eskew Earns All-Tournament Honors at Patsy Rendleman
Invitational - Oct. 15, 2013
20. Men's Tennis 5, Erskine 4 - April 10,
2014
19. Men's Cross Country Finishes Third at SAC Championships -
Oct. 26,
2013
18. Women's Soccer 1, Lincoln Memorial 0 - Oct. 19,
2013
17. Freshman Ben Boerma Sets School Record in 5000 meter (Outdoor)
- March
21, 2014
16. Jones Drains Game-Winning Shot to Lift Trojans over
Carson-Newman - Jan. 29, 2014
15. Men's Soccer 2, Young Harris 1 - Sept. 11,
2013
14. Swygert's Walk-Off Grand Slam Propels Trojans to Sweep of
Tusculum - April 1, 2014
