CU softball sweeps Centre

From staff reports

Megan Lavery and Allison Blackwood each drove in three runs and Courtney Maynard and Jessica Lozano allowed just two runs in almost 12 innings of work in Cumberland’s doubleheader sweep, 8-3 and 6-2, over Centre on Tuesday at the CU softball field.

Emily Nicholson also homered for the Bulldogs (18-9), who took advantage of five walks and a hit batter by the Colonels (2-10) to post the two victories.

Maynard (10-2) picked up the win in the first game, tossing three shutout innings before giving way to Caroline Curran. Maynard returned in the sixth inning, getting the final five outs of the game and allowing no runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.

Lozano (3-2) enjoyed one of her best outings of the season, giving up two runs on five hits in seven innings. The righthander walked two, struck out two and allowed just three baserunners through the first five innings after an error to open the game.

Lavery singled home a run and scored twice in the second game and added two RBIs in the first contest on another single. Blackwood had a pair of RBI hits in the second outing and plated a run with a groundout in the opener.

The Bulldogs scored in the first inning of the opener without a hit, as Natalie Garcia drew a leadoff walk, went to second on a sacrifice by Lavery, stole third and scored on a wild pitch.

In the third Devon Jamerson, who scored three times in the game, walked to leadoff, went to third on sacrifices from Garcia and Lavery and scored on a wild pitch.

The Bulldogs added three more runs in the fifth thanks to an error and a pair of singles.

Kaleigh Pearce walked with one out and Jamerson grounded to third, but Centre second baseman Kelly Staples dropped the throw and everyone was safe. Garcia then hit a high fly ball that fell between three fielders in short center, loading the bases.

Lavery blooped a single over the third baseman’s head, plating two runs, and after the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Blackwood’s RBI groundout gave the Bulldogs a 5-0 advantage.

The Colonels plated three runs in the sixth thanks to three walks and four hits.

Katie Martello led off with a double to leftcenter and scored on a one-out single to right by Emily Meador. Chelsea Collard walked and pinch-hitter Tori Silcox singled to left, loading the bases and prompting a pitching change, with Maynard re-entering the game.

But the righthander walked the next two batters, forcing in runs and cutting the CU lead to 5-3 before Ashley Merkin struck out. Christina Schwarz grounded to the right side with two outs, a ball headed to the outfield, but it hit Hannah Simpson in the foot, ending the inning.

Cumberland came right back with three runs in the bottom of the inning, starting with a walk to Shawnee Kirk and a sac bunt from Kacy Hobbs. Nicholson reached on a throwing error by Schwarz and a ground ball back to the pitcher pushed the runners to second and third.

Jessica Roper’s single to leftcenter plated two runs and Garcia followed with an RBI double to almost the same spot for the final run of the game.

In the second game Nicholson homered to centerfield with two outs in the second inning for an early lead.

In the third Lavery drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on a single to short left by Kirk, who went to second on the throw and came across on a single by Blackwood for a 3-0 edge.

The Colonels got a run back in the fourth when Merkin doubled with one out and Schwarz followed with an RBI single up the middle.

Cumberland scored three insurance runs in the sixth to put the game away.

Nicholson was hit to start the bottom the inning and pinch-runner Sarah Murray moved to second on a bunt by Pearce. A single to rightcenter from Autumn Collins moved the runner to third and Murray scored on a groundout by Jamerson.

Collins stole second, went to third on the groundout and scored on Lavery’s bunt single. Kirk and Blackwood followed with singles, plating the final run of the game.

In the seventh Kara Drake singled for Centre and Collard was hit after a 16-pitch at-bat. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Drake scored on a groundout by Silcox for the final run of the game.

Cumberland will head to Bryan for a doubleheader on Thursday at 2 p.m. CDT before returning home this weekend for a Saturday Mid-South Conference twin bill versus Bluefield starting at noon.