Nashville --- The Tennessee State University softball team tallied a season-best four homeruns in game one to help capture a 6-5 win before suffering a 9-1 loss to Lipscomb in the second game of Tuesday afternoon's doubleheader at Draper Diamond.  

 

Tennessee State (17-22) snapped a four game losing streak in the split while Lipscomb's (30-9) seven game win streak came to an end.

 

Despite recording four homeruns in the contest, TSU had to hold off a late 7^th inning rally by LU to secure the 6-5 game one win.

 

Lipscomb got on the board first, as a lead off walk followed by a double and two singles led to the Lady Bisons capturing a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

 

The Tigers answered in the top of the fourth when a lead off single by Brittany Webb followed by Caitlin Eaton's two-run homer over the right field wall tied the game 2-2.

 

In the top of the sixth, Caitlin Eaton christened the inning with her second homerun of the day and 13^th of the season to give TSU a 3-2 lead. The very next batter, Royesha Goodman, solo homered over the left field wall to increase the advantage to 4-2 and force a Lipscomb pitching change.

 

Despite the pitching change, TSU continued to rally as Jalisa Bradley connected on a double to right center. Melanie Cruz then knocked out homerun of her own to straight away center.

 

When the inning finally ended, TSU led 6-2.

 

In the bottom of the seventh, Lipscomb put together a rally of four consecutive hits to score three runs and cut the deficit down to 6-5. This led to a TSU pitching change.

 

With no outs, a runner on second and TSU holding on to a slight 6-5 lead, Megan Hedrick came in to relieve Eaton.

 

The next three Lipscomb batters went down in order as TSU held on for the win.

 

Caitlin Eaton (11-9) picked up the win while Megan Hedrick recorded her first save of the season. Melanie Cruz and Royesha Goodman recorded their first homeruns of the season while Eaton recorded her 12^th and 13^th of the year.

 

In game two, the Lady Bisons used a five-hit, five-run inning to open up their lead and never looked back.

 

The Lady Bisons jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

 

Lipscomb added another three of runs in the bottom of the third to raise its lead to 5-0. At this point, Susie Burke came in to pitch for Megan Hedrick.

 

The Lady Bisons, however, would score two more runs before the inning ended to swell their advantage to 7-0.

 

TSU finally got on the board in the top of the fourth when Melanie Cruz hit her second homerun of the day to left field.

 

In the bottom of the fifth, Lipscomb's Caroline Mason hit a solo homerun to center field to make the score 8-1.

 

In the top of the sixth a walk off homerun by Lipscomb's Kellie Sirus gave the Lady Bison's a 9-1 lead and ended the game due to the mercy rule.

 

Megan Hedrick (3-10) picked up the loss while Melanie Cruz tallied TSU's only RBI of the game. The homerun was Cruz' second of the season.

 

Tennessee State returns to action tomorrow for continued non-conference action with a home match-up against Western Kentucky. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at Tiger Field.