Henderson, Tenn.-- Cumberland avoid the sweep against No. 14 Freed-Hardeman by splitting the Saturday doubleheader. The Phoenix fell in game one 2-0 but won game two 6-5 in extra innings.

Cumberland showed offensive improvement from yesterday’s game with five hits, two of which came from Ashley Evans. Emily Cooper threw four shutdown innings to keep the Lions low-scoring.    

In the second at-bat of the first, Evans singled to the mound and advanced to second after Ashtyn Blair grounded out to first. Evans would remain stranded as pitcher Chloe Winters induced a pop up to keep the Phoenix scoreless. Cooper threw a scoreless inning in the first but Lions’ infielder Kiersten Mesler doubled down the leftfield line at the bottom of the second to score Cassie Hayes. 

Cumberland struggled to find offense the rest of the way through, despite adding four more hits- at least one hit per inning up until the sixth- to their statline. The Phoenix showed some fight in the third when Kenzie France recorded a leadoff single and Evans followed up with a  repeated single to the mound. Winters would continue to hold CU at bay, however, with two left on base.  

The Lions pushed out their lead to 2-0 at the bottom of the fourth as Anna Norton doubled to center field and was sent home with Mesler’s single up the middle. The Phoenix recorded two more hits from then on but would ultimately be held scoreless for a 2-0 final. 

The Phoenix got off to a fast start in game two posting five runs in the first inning. The Phoenix drew two walks to start the game and a bunt single from Blair loaded the bases. Whiles drove in the first run of the game on a single to center field and Madison Koczersut broke things open with a two-out grand slam to give the Phoenix a 5-0 lead in the first.

Harris-Bennett led things off for the Lions with a double to right field and followed it up by stealing third. She scored on the next play thanks to a ground out to the shortstop to bring the score to 5-1.

The game turned into a pitcher's duel all the way up until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Lions cut into the Phoenix's lead. Hardy walked to leadoff the inning and a single moved her to third to put runners on the corner with one out. Hayes stepped up next and tripled to right field to drive in both runs and was later brought in on a wild pitch to cut Cumberland's lead to 5-4.

After sitting the Phoenix down in order, the Lions tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on a double to send the game to extra innings. 

Lay got things started in extras with an infield single and then stole second to get in scoring position early. Evans moved her over to third on a fly ball to center field and Chappell drove her in on a single up the middle to retake the lead.

The Lions hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth to force Cumberland to make a pitching change, bringing in Bailey Griffith. Griffith shut down the next three batters in order to help secure the 6-5 win. 

Cumberland will be back in action this Friday at home for a series with Bethel University.