LEBANON, Tenn. – Morgan Arndt tossed her third shutout of the season in the opener and Kayley Caplinger got the win in the circle, drove in the tying run and scored the winning run in the second game in Cumberland’s sweep, 7-0 and 3-2, in softball action Saturday at Billy Dee Ross Stadium.
Cumberland (25-20, 11-15 Mid-South) led just 1-0 entering the bottom of the sixth in the opener but scored six runs to pull away, including a two-run double by Tyra Graham and RBI singles from Madison Woodruff and Brigid Antonelli.
That backed up a four-hit shutout from Arndt (13-7), who walked one and struck out one, getting 10 fly ball outs and seven ground ball outs. Kentucky Christian (22-29, 4-18) had one baserunner in six of the seven innings but only three reached as far as second base.
Antonelli posted three hits and Kaylee Luckett scored twice.
Lora Thompson (7-16) took the loss, giving up seven runs on eight hits. She walked three and struck out one and was hurt by two Knights errors. Summer Collins collected two of KCU’s four hits in the contest.
Caplinger helped herself with a two-out RBI double in the sixth that knotted the game at two and Taylor Woodring plated the winning run with a single in the eighth. Caplinger (9-9) allowed two runs on seven hits for the win, walking two and striking out four.
Woodring registered three hits and Caplinger doubled twice while scoring the winning run. Luckett and Imani Torregano each posted two hits for CU.
Taylor Coleman (13-11) suffered the defeat, scattering 10 hits and allowing three runs with one walk. Taylor Jording had two of KCU’s seven hits.
Singles by Antonelli and Woodring were the only runners for CU in the first two innings in the opener against Thompson before Torregano led off the third inning with a single and Graham walked. Woodruff bunted and reached on a fielding error, loading the bases with no outs.
Ground balls by Antonelli and Paola Del Valle led to outs at the plate and Caplinger fouled out, with Cumberland missing a chance to take the lead.
The Phoenix got on the board in the fourth inning when Luckett walked and moved to second on Woodring’s sacrifice bunt. Two wild pitches allowed Luckett to score for a 1-0 CU edge.
Cumberland broke the game open in the sixth inning, taking advantage of another KCU miscue.
Caplinger singled up the middle and Luckett reached on a throwing error by the first baseman on a sacrifice attempt. Pinch-runner Callie Perkins was picked off third on a grounder to the circle by Woodring and Tawnee Hegre walked, loading the bases.
Luckett scored again on a wild pitch and pinch-hitter Kristian Davis’ grounder to second drove in a run. Graham then doubled to left, plating two runs, and Woodruff followed with an RBI single up the middle. Antonelli capped the inning with an RBI single through the right side for a 7-0 advantage.
The Phoenix got the lead in the second game in the third inning when Torregano tripled down the leftfield line and Graham’s sacrifice fly pushed the run across.
Kentucky Christian ended its scoring drought in the fifth after collecting only one hit and four total baserunners (two of hit by pitches) in the first four innings.
Jording and Coleman both singled to leadoff Shaylee Hiestad followed with an RBI double down the leftfield line. Collins reached on a bunt single, loading the bases, and Katerina Anthony walked, forcing in a run.
Caplinger settled down and got a pair of ground balls that ended in force outs at the plate and induced a pop-up to end the inning with the Phoenix trailing just 2-1.
Antonelli started the rally in the sixth with a leadoff walk and she moved to second on Del Valle’s sac bunt. Caplinger then doubled to rightcenter, driving in the tying run.
In the eighth Caplinger doubled to rightcenter with one out and Luckett singled, putting runners on the corners. Woodring followed with an RBI single to rightcenter for the game-winner.
Cumberland opens play in the Mid-South Conference Championships on Friday in Bowling Green, Ky., against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
