No. 18 Softball Splits Home Doubleheader Against Cumberland

Athens, Tenn.- The softball team, ranked No. 18 in the NAIA, played a second consecutive doubleheader on Wednesday. This time, it was a non-conference doubleheader as the team hosted the Cumberland University Lady Phoenix.  

Game One: 

The damage on the scoreboard was done in the second and third innings. Courtney Sneed opened the second inning with a single, moving to second on a Taylor Penning sacrifice bunt. Sneed became the first run of the game, scoring on Malyssa Jeter's RBI single to give the team a 1-0 lead. An error on Hallie DeArman's fielder's choice put runners on first and second. The inning ended with the Lady Bulldogs leading 4-0 after Emily Mikkola blasted a ball over the fence for a three-run home run. 

In the third inning, Loryn Sherwood became the fifth run. Sherwood got on base via a walk and moved to third on a Sneed double. A sacrifice fly by Penning gave Sherwood the space to score, making the score 5-0. Cumberland recorded two more hits in the game, but the pitching of Cheyenne Strong and the defense behind her did not give up a run, helping Tennessee Wesleyan win the first game by the five-run margin. 

Mikkola finished with three RBIs while Jeter and Penning each had one RBI. Strong finished the complete-game effort with seven strikeouts.  

Game Two: 

In the second game, Destiny Painter opened the Lady Bulldogs' time at the plate with a single, moving to second on a Caroline Moore sacrifice bunt. Painter went on to score on Sherwood's single to give the team a 1-0 lead. Cumberland moved ahead in the top of the third inning after scoring three runs. In the bottom of the third, Moore cut the deficit to one run. 

A single to left field got Moore on first, and a single by Sherwood moved the base runner up a base. A sacrifice fly by Penning after a Sneed single scored Moore to make the score 3-2 in favor of the opponents. After runs in the top of the fourth made the score 4-2, the Lady Bulldogs tied the score at four in the bottom half of the same inning. 

An error allowed Mikkola to reach first. A triple by Painter brought Mikkola to home plate. Painter was not left on base as Moore hit a ground out that brought Painter across home plate, tying the score 4-4 after four innings. 

The streak of scoring continued. Unfortunately for TWU, Cumberland scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning to move ahead 8-4. Jeter got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth, a solo bomb over the fence to make the score 8-5.  

The three-run deficit remained as the Lady Bulldogs entered the bottom of the seventh. Sneed started a comeback rally with a single to right field. A double by Penning cut the Cumberland lead to two runs as Sneed scored from first. After the first out of the inning, the team put runners on the corners as Mackenzie Baldwin singled to right field, moving Penning to third. Disaster struck though as a double play ended the game with the opponents ahead 8-6, resulting in a split of the doubleheader. 

Penning led the offense with two RBIs while Painter, Moore, Sherwood, and Jeter each had an RBI. Madison Stott had four strikeouts on the mound in four innings. Emilee Tabor pitched three innings of relief. 

Up next for the Lady Bulldogs (8-4) is a non-conference matchup against the #13 University of the Cumberlands on Wednesday. The team will play one game beginning at 2:00 p.m.